Hide and Seek
by The BestChaser
Summary: Eric finds interest in new CSI Samantha Owens since Calleigh just loves him 'like family', and suddenly Calleigh's fifteen-year-old sister desperately needs her in Louisiana. Tough times call for tough measures, so what will she decide?
1. Busted

_Hey guys!_

_This is my first CSI fig I'm attempting after watching the show for so many years. I just love Eric and Calleigh together, and this chapter actually came to my mind after seeing the last episode (10x12) and the way Samantha and Eric seem to have some tension between each other that seems to be more than just concern for a colleague (well, maybe it's just me seeing this), which made me kind_

_of furious, and I wondered how Calleigh would react to this. Initially, I planned for this to be a one-shot, but as the days went by this had turned into a full-blown story idea and it's still running freely; I can't seem to stop it. Let's see where the creativity takes me. I'm not English or American (nor from any other native English-speaking country), so there's bound to be mistakes and spelling errors in here, although I've been going to college/uni in the US and England for years now. If there's somebody out there who'd volunteer to proofread my story by the way, please do leave me a message!_

_And another warning, I'm not sure how high this rating is going to be, considering the scenes in this first chapter. The case is actually inspired by my Dad, who's a criminalist specializing in prints, shoe- and tool-marks (And no, he usually doesn't conduct interrogations or collects evidence. But how boring would that be on TV?). Of course I changed it a little bit, but I will have to make a mental note never to talk to him about work again, or I will be having nightmares for years to come._

_That said, I hope you enjoy this story, I was able to post just before the next episode is aired, so consider this to pick up some time after 10x12._

_**Disclaimer**__: I own __nothing__ recognizable ;)_

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><p>The sun was barely peeking above the building next to the lab when Calleigh stepped out of her car. How she hated the winter when the days became so short that late afternoon seemed like midnight, and eight in the morning turned into 5am. The car door closed behind her with a determined 'plonk', making her jump. What was this odd feeling in the stomach? She hadn't received a call from dispatch or Horatio yet today, so it was just another normal day at work, nothing to worry about. Why then was she so on edge?<p>

Calleigh threw a quick glance and a smile at the receptionist as she entered through the main doors and headed straight for the locker rooms. Every single person she met in the hallways was a familiar face, and she returned their greeting with a smile. It was times like these, when she realized just how long she had been here, and how familiar everything was, almost like a pair of favourite shoes. Just as she was about to close up her locker and head to her lab, she heard her phone vibrate on the bench next to her. There we go, just another day.

"Morning Horatio," she greeted her boss after checking the display.

"Calleigh, listen, I've just had a call from dispatch. There are two dead women in a waterfront property in the Gables. Ryan, Natalia and Walter are already out in the field."

"Of course! The lab can wait. I will meet you outside in five!" She hung up the phone and placed it back on the bench.

So much for an easy start in the day. Horatio hadn't given her much information about what was going on, but she expected him to fill her in as soon as they were on scene. Grabbing kit she headed outside to the parking lot where the cars were parked. The person she saw next to the Hummer wasn't the redhead she was expecting; however, a tall, broad-shouldered Latino was leaning on the side of the car and he threw her a friendly smile as she approached. For a moment she tried to compose herself and released a breath she didn't know she had been holding. Her smile had slipped only for a split second; but, hopefully he had missed it. She couldn't screw up in front of him and give herself away; not today, not ever.

"Hey stranger, haven't seen you in a while" she figured that small talk would be the safest way to cover up her own feelings that threatened to boil over; although, she realised that her comment had sounded more flirtatious then anything else.

"Yeah, I know. I've been out in the field with Ryan and Walter a fair bit. " He frowned as a thought crossed his mind. " I think I haven't seen you since the day we had that gas explosion. I never got to check back with you, you were ok though, right?"

"You mean because of the fire? Sure Eric, I'm fine!" There it was again, this concern for her and his ability to remember every detail about her.

Maybe, at one point, Eric could have been the one for her. She had believed it. Never in her wildest dreams she would have imagined falling for a Latino ladies man who jumped from one girl to the next, but it had happened, and for the first time in her life she had felt like she could trust a man. Eric and his big brown eyes of his, and his sincerity. She knew that he was a good man inside, with a big heart and a good conscience as well as morals, but he had this other side to him that she had been unable to cope with. After all, he was a guy she thought bitterly. They never changed, and they certainly couldn't be trusted. How she had wished for Eric to be something different, to be the first man in her life who would be true to his word, but he had let her down. He had kept important things from her; delicate matters, and he had lied to her face. It didn't matter to her that his intentions had been nothing but good, but he had lied nonetheless, and this was a strong breach of trust. It was such a break that she couldn't take it anymore. She should have know from the start, since their relationship had started with his first secret that he had kept from her. He hadn't told her about his fake birth certificate once he found out, and she should have known that this wasn't a good base for any relationship. He always wanted to protect her by not telling her certain things, but it just made her furious. He wasn't her father, and she wasn't 14 years old anymore. She remembered their parents' divorce, and how her mother had tried to protect her the same way, unknowingly hurting her even more that way.

"Hey Eric, hi Calleigh," a cheery voice ripped her from her thoughts.

Samantha, the newly promoted CSI and former lab-tech threw them both a smile before setting down her kit on the concrete next to her. Calleigh had never taken a closer look at her, but from the way she had heard Ryan and Walter talk about her, she seemed to be a favourite with the boys. She couldn't blame them. Samantha was young, tall, with chocolate brown hair that hung loosely down her back and her features were soft but strong, and she had a very determined look on her face. Calleigh had heard that Sam had showed that termination as well when trying to get off the nightshift. She had succeeded. Once again Calleigh got lost in her thoughts as Eric and Samantha took up a friendly conversation. The familiarity between them, however, didn't slip her radar.

"Ready for another 'next time'?" Eric asked with a smirk and Calleigh wondered how he could be joking about something so serious.

"Yes, of course." Samantha answered with an identical smile and added in a flirty tone: "Are you going to let me take the lead this time? You know, for your own safety?"

He laughed, but before he could give a reply, Horatio came hurrying towards them. Calleigh was glad for his appearance; she had been starting to feel uncomfortable between their flirting, and breathed a sigh of relief as she hopped into the Hummer's passenger seat next Horatio. She retreated back into her own thoughts, and Horatio was silent for a few minutes. He knew her well enough to notice that she needed space, and he wondered if it had been a mistake to call her in, since he was very well aware of the tension between the two. On the other hand, he was positive that she would be professional about it. It was her duty she had to fulfil. Whatever was going on in her life outside of work would have to stay outside. Just as he was about to say something, she decided to speak.

"So, anymore information about the incident?" Calleigh, always the professional.

"Not much more than you do, but the officer on the phone said it's like nothing he's ever seen before; very messy."

"Nothing better than to start your morning with an ugly investigation."

"Exactly."

They arrived at the scene minutes later, and Eric parked his Hummer right next to Horatio's in front of the massive mansion. Beautiful flowers and exotic trees were lining the gravelled driveway leading up towards the pale yellow Tuscan-style villa. Calleigh was already ducking her head to pass under the yellow police tape as Eric and Samantha got out of the car and followed up to the house. Officers were swarming around everywhere securing the area, and she noticed the large amount of people gathered outside the taped off zone. Every single time she wondered what it was that people found so fascinating about crime scenes. Maybe it was the yellow tape that worked almost like a flashlight to attract them? She sighed and walked up to the rest of her group that was gathered around the informing officer.

"Two victims, mother and daughter. Cleaning lady found them this morning, no sign of forced entry as far as we can see," he reported.

"Do we know their names?" Horatio enquired.

"Marybeth Simon, 42 and her daughter Ashley, 17, they lived here on their own after the parents' divorce two years ago. The father now lives with his second wife in the Bahamas. Both were found tied to the bed and possible cause of death is stabbing…in a very unusual way."

"Unusual?"

"I've never seen anything like it, Sir. It's an act of sheer brutality."

"I see. Thank you officer, I think that's all for now." He turned to his team, "Let's go and see what we've got. The ME should be here any minute."

They entered the house, not knowing what to expect. The officer didn't seem like a new recruit, so Calleigh wondered what could have shocked him to such an extent. She got her answer a few minutes later, as her own breath hitched in her throat.

"What on earth-?" she said out loud.

The bedroom they were standing in seemed to be the daughter's, judging by the pictures on the shelves and the pale pink colour on the walls. The girl was lying on her bed, and she seemed tied to the headboard on her wrists. Blood was covering her whole upper body, and a pool had formed around her on the sheets. But the most disturbing feature made Calleigh's hair on the back of her neck stand up, although she pulled herself together quickly.

"Is…are these…is that silverware stuck all over her body?" Samantha asked the question everybody had been thinking, but nobody wanted to answer.

"Let's get to work, Ryan and Natalia are on their way as well to lend us a hand," Horatio simply commented.

Everyone split up and tried to determine what had happened and to gather all evidence. The floor was covered in pieces of glass that had been knocked over when everyone had escaped the scene, now the pieces cracked beneath her heels as she made her way around.

"There's definite signs of a struggle," Calleigh speculated as she took a closer look at the mess by sofa in the living room. Pillows as well as the throw were on the floor, and a wine glass that had been standing on the small table nearby had emptied its contents all over the white-carpeted floor.

"My God…" Samantha mumbled and covered her mouth and leaned against the back of the sofa to steady herself.

"Are you going to be ok? Is it your first time on a crime scene?" Calleigh asked and a look of concern appeared on her face, both for the girl and the prospect of having to babysit a newbie.

"No, no!" Sam answered quickly, "Just the first time I see that much blood, and such…violence, really."

"It's a little bit different seeing it then just handling it in the lab, isn't it?" Eric joined in their conversation.

"You can say that!" Sam added while trying to look everywhere but the bedrooms.

"Tell you what, why don't you take the camera while Eric dusts for prints and I bag and tag everything we find?" Calleigh offered warmly and held out the camera to the brown-haired women who accepted with a smile.

Calleigh busied herself with her flashlight, skimming every inch in the house for possible leads on the suspect; and much to her delight, she found plenty. The suspect had not been very careful, and she found multiple hairs as well as traces of mud and grass on the carpets. Eric on the other hand seemed to come up empty after skimming all rooms.

"There's no prints," he exclaimed after a while, frustrated. "Not on the front door, or any of the surfaces or anywhere else."

"I've found some hair, but I'm not sure if we can use it for DNA," Calleigh said thoughtfully.

"Well, maybe I can find something useful," Natalia chimed in as she sat her kit down right beside Calleigh and peeked over her shoulder as she was just writing something on a bag of evidence.

"How did you get here so fast? I thought you were out in the Glades?" Calleigh enquired as she turned around to the brown haired woman.

"Oh, you know, if I don't let Ryan drive we actually make somewhere in time to collect evidence before it disappears."

"Careful, he accused me of reckless driving once! Looks like he's more of a grandma-kind of driver, don't give him a heart attack," Calleigh commented, smiling.

"Hey, I heard that!" Ryan's voice came from across the room.

"Ok, I think I'm going to get the evidence back to the lab for processing, maybe that might give us a lead to the suspect," Eric suggested and grabbed the box with the bags.

"I'll come with you," Samantha said quickly and followed him, "I can upload the pictures and maybe we can make some sense out of what has happened here."

"If I find something, I'll page you," Eric told Calleigh as he turned to leave and she nodded absentmindedly.

She went back into the girl's bedroom. The curtains had been drawn shut, so that none of the spectators could catch a glimpse, and ME Tom Loman was still working over the body while Horatio stood by.

"Anything new?" Calleigh enquired.

"Well, this is nothing I've seen before, that much I can tell you," Loman answered, "Forks, knives, cutting knives, corkscrews, peelers,... The cutlery has been inserted into the victim post-mortem, and it doesn't follow any strict pattern, although it's a very violent one."

"How so?"

"Well, the objects are crammed into every cavity he could find…and looks like he just grabbed any utensil he found in the kitchen cabinets at random."

"Eric didn't find any prints on the cabinets. In fact, he didn't find any at all."

"Well, maybe you get lucky on the metal here? Once I get the body to the lab I will be able to tell you more. But COD is definitely from a sharp object. She was the chest cavity, much likely severed a major artery. Mother's the same. I will page you when I get anything."

"Thanks doctor," Horatio said and exited the room.

Calleigh took a ride back to the lab with Ryan, while Horatio and Natalia finished up at the scene. She went straight down to her lab when she got back. The quietness of the shooting range calmed her, and she enjoyed being on her own. Multiple open cases were lying on her desk, and she picked up the top folder from the stack to skim through it again. An unknown suspect had gunned down two fishermen in on the pier in the early hours. This case made as much sense as the one she had just investigated, and she wondered if the city had become too quiet, so that the citizens took it into their own hands to stir up the air. Calleigh had been on the job long enough to know that people did the most ridiculous things, that were so unreal she wouldn't have believed them to be true unless she hadn't been there to see it with her own eyes.

She looked at the two bullets that had been recovered from the bodies. On first glance, they looked identical; and, as she compared them under the microscope, they had the exact same striations. Something wasn't sitting right with her, however, since the colouring on the one bullet was slightly darker then the other. Hours passed, and finally she had to take off her safety goggles and rubbed her temples. Somehow everything looked the same when she looked through the microscope, and she had to go and pick up some evidence Frank had just confiscated from a suspect. Maybe a quick coffee would help to pick her up? She decided to make a detour to the break room after collecting the evidence to get her caffeine fix. When she entered the break room she was pleasantly surprised when she found most of her team sitting on the tables in the back.

"What's this, an informal meeting? Where was my invite?" she asked, playing hurt.

"Hey, there you are! Haven't seen you all day, where have you been hiding?" Walter enquired as she came up closer, and once again she noticed how likeable he was; like a big, funny teddy bear.

"My lab," she answered simply. "Working my cases. Where else would I be?"

"Calleigh and the guns," he figured.

"Yeah, it's like you're burying yourself down there," Ryan commented, "So what finally got you outta there?"

"My need for caffeine," she answered and pointed towards the coffee machine.

"Speaking of guns, any development on the dead fishermen?" Walter wondered aloud.

"Come on guys, I'm on break, so that I don't have to think about work for a few moments! Lose the gun talk for a minute," Ryan protested, but it was too late.

"Actually, yes. From the outside, both bullets look the same; striations are the same as well. I opened both, and one of the bullets was lacking the gunpowder."

"What? Then how would it have gotten into the victim?"

"Oh there is bullets without gunpowder, you didn't know? They're both .22 rounds, but these are extremely silent."

"So that's why nobody heard anything."

"Yes. They were most likely shot with a rifle, Frank already confiscated one, so I will have to determine whether that's the one. The shooter must have been close to the victim in order to cause enough damage. The bullets aren't as strong as regular ones."

"Has Loman determined if it was a contact shot then?"

"I'll have to double check with him, but I'm not sure how far he got; he must have been swamped with cases, too."

"And do these guns then produce GSR?"

"I haven't worked with gunpowder-free bullets yet, so I'll know once I test fired them."

"So how come you know so much about guns?" Samantha asked casually after a few seconds of silence.

"It's my job, you know?" Calleigh answered with a slight hint of her Southern accent. "Ballistic expert."

"Yeah, she's called 'bullet girl' for a reason," Ryan commented, which made her smile, and Eric chuckled in the background as he had just arrived at the table and was sitting down next to Samantha.

"Oh come on, what did make you think that? She actually is like a bullet: Short, tiny, and looks _very _harmless; but _ohhhh_ - beware if she goes off! Lethal!" Walter explained and broke out laughing.

"Thanks, Walt!" Calleigh exclaimed and gave him a shove.

"Come on Cal, you have to admit, when I'm standing next to you, you do look very tiny!"

"Wouldn't keep me from knocking you off your feet though!" The guys all cried out laughing.

"You know what, I actually believe you," Walter commented while still chuckling softly.

"I thought this was a crime lab, not a comedy club?" Samantha questioned with her eyebrows raised.

"Don't you know the other name CSI stands for?" Ryan teased.

"Oh? And that would be?"

"Comedy Scenes Incorporated, of course!" Eric threw in and everyone tried to wipe their smiles or their faces.

"Man, am I glad that I shifted from the nightshift!" Samantha said as she reached for her water, "This is so much better."

"Well, I guess my time's up. I'll go help Boa Vista with DNA and trace before she gets all crazy on me. I think double shifts don't do her much good. See you guys, pray for me!" Walter waved over his shoulder as he left the room as well.

"I'll be in the vault!" Calleigh jumped off the chair as if someone had pinched her, and grabbed the ballistics evidence she had put on the table before turning in towards the door.

"Cal, wait, I haven't checked that guns for any prints or trace yet!" Ryan called after her, sensing her odd behaviour as she was almost fleeing the room. She turned in the door.

"Come on Ryan, I'm gonna be wearing gloves! I need to know if that's my weapon, and I'm curious how these bullets will work, I had some brought over from resources. It's nagging me."

"Ok then, off you go. " Ryan gestured towards the door and gave her his best, hurt look as he glanced the other way dramatically.

"You know Wolfe, something's off with you today. Maybe you should take a nap in the break room, I think Natalia's driving has gotten to you."

"I told you -!" Ryan started, but Calleigh was already out the door.

"Didn't she come in here for coffee?" he asked out loud and Eric just shrugged.

Suddenly Ryan realized was alone with Eric and Samantha in the room. The tension between the two had been building up the last few weeks since the day they had been in a shooting, and Ryan had taken a step back to give Eric the green light to proceed. Back then he hadn't been sure whether Eric was interested or not, since 'Delko the ladiesman' had disappeared after he had been tied down by his feelings for his very best friend, Calleigh Duquesne. Nevertheless, whatever their situation, Ryan grew more and more uncomfortable in their presence and decided it was time to make a dive for the door just like the rest of his colleagues.

"You know, uh, I'm gonna have a look if Loman has the silverware out of the bodies yet," he said quickly and slipped out into the corridor.

"Are they always like that, or do I smell or something?" Samantha asked turning to Eric, who was looking over the evidence that was left from the scene.

"Don't worry, they are all just overly enthusiastic to catch the bad guys, you'll see," he answered with a smile before turning to her. "You can help me look at the pictures at the scene, maybe we can make some more sense of it."

"I'd love to."

Calleigh was glad to be in the vault, once again appreciating all its private features. The thick walls prevented any noise from going out, but in the same way it shielded her from everything that was going on outside. Despite her apparent eagerness to get back to work, her mind was drifting back to Samantha, and the looks she had exchanged with Eric in the morning. This look on his face…it was so familiar, and she knew why. So far, it had always been reserved for her. It was this intensity and joy with which he had watched her every movement, as if she was the only person in the room. It wasn't very obvious, and probably quite easy to miss by any outsider, but she knew Eric better than anyone else in the lab; at least she liked to think so. What if there was anything between them? She hated the idea of Eric being with another women; and as much as it annoyed her, she had to admit that it would indeed affect her deeply. Already, she felt the familiar cold shiver run down her spine like lightning, and the hairs on the back of her neck were standing up. They had been broken up for a year now, and it had been a mutual decision to stay friends, which they had made after this whole disaster with the State Attorney's Office. Furthermore, they worked too closely together, and if they ever got into a dangerous situation together, it would be very difficult to act like a professional towards each other, and not like partners. It had been too many close calls for both of them, and she knew she wouldn't be able to handle it if anything would happened to him; it was inevitable in their job. That's why she had suggested stepping away from each other for their own good, and unable to deny her wishes as well as seeing the logic behind it, he had agreed; even though it was with a heavy heart.

Still, she wanted him to be happy; however she just wasn't sure if she wanted to be a witness to his obvious, new happiness. Why could he not just go back to his old ways, date random girls for one night and then find a new one the next? She shook her head, disgusted with herself. Eric deserved to find a woman he could grow old with, a woman that actually deserved and respected him, and gave him _all _her trust. And that, she knew, just wasn't herself. They had hurt each other in too many ways to be able to be with each other again, even if their behaviour had ruined the best potential relationship in their lives. Now, it would just be a lie, wouldn't it? She shook her head again, trying to clear her thoughts, and get to work. Her finger ran over the cool metal on the rifle that was lying on the table behind the shooting range, and she loaded it with the bullets she had ordered previously to conduct a test. The gun was heavy and not very well maintained, but she would be unable to touch anything besides the trigger and the bullets with her fully gloved hands in order to preserve any further evidence on the weapon itself. Finally deeming it ready, she put on her glasses and earmuffs, and picked up the rifle before opening the safety lock with a determined click and pulling the trigger. A smile appeared on her face as the force of the firing weapon ran through her body.

"Enjoying yourself?" She heard a voice behind her and turned around.

"Horatio!" she exclaimed with a smile.

"Sorry to sneak up on you, but I have the owner of this rifle sitting in the hot seat, and he isn't talking, so I was wondering if you might have anything that would give him reason to break his silence. Care to join me in the interrogation?"

"Sure, give me five minutes and I'll be there. Maybe I will have a few more questions of my own for him by then, too."

"Great, see you in five."

She fired another two shots and compared the bullets to the one they had collected at the crime scene, until she stepped back with a smile.

"We've got a match," she whispered triumphantly with a smile.

After she had taken off her safety equipment she proceeded to store the weapon away safely, until another thought crossed her mind, and she took the rifle with her as went upstairs and made her way towards the Print lab to deliver the gun to Eric. It was vacant when she arrived, so she put the rifle on his desk and remembered that he had been the one working on the photos from the fishermen scene, so she decided to quickly stop by the photo lab on her way to interrogation to look for more information. She stepped into the room with her eyes down and started speaking the second she entered through the door.

"Hey Eric, I was just wondering if you had found anything in the pictures that I might take with me into –" she stopped mid-sentence as she raised her eyes and she realized what was going on in front of her.

Eric and Samantha had been standing at close proximity and whispering quietly into each other's ears while overlooking pictures that covered the lightbox in front of them; they jumped apart as they realized Calleigh was in the room.

"I, uh, we haven't found anything so far-" Eric started but Calleigh was already backing out the door.

"Don't bother, I'm on my way into interrogation, just wanted to double check." She forced a smile, quickly turned and fled the room.

With a determined look on her face she stepped into the room and came to stand beside Horatio, quickly running her hand through one of her blond strands as she inhaling deeply with her eyes closed to gain back her composure, hoping nobody had noticed. Horatio glanced at her with a worried look; of course he had noticed the second she had stormed through the door like an angry tornado.

"Are you ok?" He whispered concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry," she told him firmly.

"You know, I don't really believe you. You've been off all day, I've noticed. Why don't you go to the break room and have a cup of coffee, Wolfe and I will handle this one," he whispered as he turned slightly away from the suspect sitting on the table across from them.

"Horatio, I've just taken a break a few minutes ago…" she protested weakly.

"No, I don't want to hear any 'buts'; and take Boa Vista with you, she looks like might pass out over that DNA sample table at any minute." Calleigh didn't budge. "This is an order, Detective."

Calleigh nodded and made her way over to Natalia's office while making sure not to look towards the light box lab. Need to know only. Natalia was hunched over her tray of samples just as Horatio had predicted, and Calleigh could tell that she was squinting her eyes while trying to keep lose strands of hair from her face that had escaped her ponytail. Calleigh had to call her name multiple times until she responded.

"Sorry Calleigh, I think my brain is fried. Headache," she said with a grimace.

"No worries, Horatio ordered a mandatory break for the two of us. Come on, let's get some coffee."

"That's music to my ears," Natalia commented with a smile, "But lets go get coffee outside. I'm sick of this rainwater brew they call coffee down in the break room."

"Let's go."

Minutes later, the two women walked down the parking lot towards Natalia's car. Calleigh was finally able to relax that tension as she sat down in front of a cup of steaming coffee.

"There you go, I didn't know how much sugar you like in your coffee, so I brought some extra," Natalia explained as she dropped multiple sachets of sugar next to Calleigh's mug and sat down across from her. "Now are you going to tell me what's wrong with you all day?"

"I wish people would stop asking me that."

"Well, you see, we worry about you. I worry about you! And I can tell there is something bugging you. Is it Delko and Samantha?" Calleigh looked up into her eyes, surprise written all over her face. Natalia had always been somebody who didn't beat around the bush. Calleigh on the other hand, wouldn't give up her guard as easily.

"No, no way."

"Come on Calleigh, stop pretending. I mean, Delko is acting like the biggest ass I know, flirting with her in the middle of the freaking lab. That kind of behaviour would upset anyone, me included."

Calleigh swallowed hard. Ballistics expert Calleigh Duquesne was supposed to be a tough woman, who never showed any kind of weakness; whether it was in front of a suspect, or towards a friend. Always professional, always smiling, and always keeping everyone out of her inner thoughts and feelings. Then again, this was Natalia, her good colleague and close friend for years; still, she couldn't bring herself to tell her friend exactly what was going in inside.

"Look, I would be lying if I said that I don't care. But… Eric and me, we're good friends, that's it. Who he chooses to spend his time with romantically is none of my business."

"Come on Calleigh - "

"_Please_, Natalia", she pleaded her friend to drop the topic.

Calleigh put her head in her hands, taking deep breaths again, as she felt Natalia's warm hand resting softly on her upper Arm. She had gotten up from her seat across from her and sat down in the chair right next to Calleigh.

"I'm so sorry, Hun, I know it hurts." Gently she pulled the petite blonde into a hug and soothingly stroked her back.

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><p><em>Any thoughts? Worthwhile to continue? Let me know ;)<em>


	2. Sweet Home Louisiana

**Hey guys! Sorry it took me a while to update, but midterms have been brutal ;) Thank you for the feedback, so here's the second chapter. I loved creating Calleigh's family, and I'm in love with Ellie. Maybe just to clarify, I know that Calleigh's parents have been divorced longer than sixteen years, but let's just assume they had another drunken encounter after they got divorced. Happens. Anyhow, hope you enjoy and even if you don't, I'd like to hear it; constructive criticism is always welcome!**

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><p>"You need to talk to her, Eric." Natalia tapped for foot on the floor, looking up at the dark eyed man standing in front of her.<p>

His eyes were narrowed, brows furrowed, lips pressed together to a thin line, and hands on his hips: a definite defensive stance. She tilted her head slightly to her left, a challenging look on her face, while he held his position for a few more seconds before sighing deeply and rubbing a hand across his face. Now he just looked very tired.

"I don't know what I should talk to her about, Nat. What am I supposed to do? Anything I do around her is wrong! If I ask her how she's doing, I'm not letting go. If I call her in the evening when she's had an horrible day at work, I'm too involved; and if I finally try to forget, I'm being ignorant?" he replied heatedly.

"You hit on a woman _right in front of her face!"_

"That's not true, that was nothing! Come on Nat, you know I'm not like that anymore, but what the hell am I supposed to do?"

"Relax, ok?" she held up her hands defensively as he raised his voice, "I'm not blaming anyone…although I have to say you're both guilty of hurting each other, but that's why I think you guys need to talk it out, before it affects your work. It already has, and it's not pleasant to be around you two, so much I can tell you."

The anger left him as quickly as it had started. She was right. He didn't like it, but he had to admit it was true.

"Got it," he mumbled, defeated. "What if she won't listen to me?"

"I'm sure you guys will be able to work it out." Natalia answered confidently, although she wasn't so sure herself.

Calleigh slammed her locker shut, exhaling deeply as she leaned her head against the door. It had been a long day. After talking to Natalia over coffee, she had calmed down immensely; but it still didn't erase that deep feeling inside, which she couldn't really figure out. All she knew was that it hurt. A lot. She ran her hand through her blonde hair as she took a step back and turned around to make her way out. That was when she saw him standing there, watching her intently. No words were exchanged, but his eyes said it all: He knew; he knew that he had hurt her, and he was sorry. She looked down, breaking the eye contact, unable to take his remorse. He shouldn't feel bad that he was moving on, especially since she had been the one that pushed him away in the first place.

"_Cal_…" he started softly, but she just held out her hand to silence him, squeezing her eyes shut at the sound of her familiar nickname coming from his lips..

"Eric, please, not now. I'm tired, I need to go home," she said weakly.

"Calleigh, I think now is as good as ever!" he disagreed, voice and temper rising slightly.

"What the hell do you want from me, Eric?" Calleigh asked in frustration, her own temper rising at his words.

"I'm just trying to understand what's going on in your head, I don't get it! First you tell me that you can't trust me and that you can't be with me, but then you react like this if I just have a friendly conversation with a girl over work!"

"_A friendly conversation over work?_ Eric, that was more than that! And you could have been a bit more subtle about it, too. Can't you limit your game to outside of the lab?"

"I know, and I'm sorry about that! But I still don't understand why you care so much."

"Why do I care? Eric, you're my friend, and I care about you."

"A friend wouldn't react like this. You said we should talk about things like this, and that's what friends do. So I don't get why this is such a big deal; I mean, do you want me to stay alone forever?"

"Of course not, Eric. I want you to be happy. It's just that…" she trailed off, unable to finish, and Eric looked away with a sad smile on his face.

"I don't understand why we are doing this to each other, Calleigh. You know how I feel about you; you read my file. Me on the other hand, I don't know what's going on in your head, because you never talk about it! I think you pushed me away, because you got scared of your own feelings. You just took my preach of trust as an excuse to run!"

"You know what, Eric; this conversation is over!" She stood and shot a last, angry look at him before she left him standing in the middle of the locker room.

He stayed put for another few minutes, unable to move. It seemed as if the anger had paralyzed his muscles, and he fought to slow down his breathing back to a normal rhythm. The way she had reacted was proof to him that he had been right, and that he'd hit a nerve. That didn't make it any less confusing, and he ran a hand over his face tiredly. He understood now why there was a 'no fraternization' rule at the lab. How were they supposed to solve this issue?

Calleigh got in the driver seat of her car and sat in the parking lot for a few moments while trying to cool down. This was crazy, how were they supposed to go on like this? Somehow she wished they had never crossed the line, and that they would have remained friends all along. Sure, they had never been regular friends; there had always been this attraction and flirting between them. Back then, however, it had been a nice, almost innocent relationship. Deep down, both of them had known about the feelings they harbored for each other, but there had been a silent agreement never to cross the line. That was until Eric had been shot, and they both came to their senses. It had shaken them awake, and they had realized that their feelings ran deeper than a friendly flirt at the lab. Calleigh had been scared at first; unable to process the depth of what she was feeling, and it taken her years to come to terms with it. She had tried to run from it, distracting herself with starting up a relationship with Jake and denying herself to feel, but after she had almost lost her life herself, it had become clear to her that life could be over in a nick of time. What if she never acted upon her feelings? So she had given in to her heart for the very first time in her life. It had been frightening; but it had been worth to take a risk. That was until he had lied to her, and gone behind her back. Everything came crashing down on her, and she closed up completely what little opening she had created. No, there was no way back.

She sighed as she started the engine, slowly backing out of her parking spot and exiting the lot in order to make her way home. Traffic was dense on the major arteries passing the city, as many were on their way home from work. It had been a busy day as always, and all she wanted now was to take off her heels and put up her feet. She was looking forward to succumb to the soothing curtain of deep slumber; which would numb every feeling within her, and would allow her to forget everything for a few hours of black nothingness. Tomorrow, she would have to be at work early again to continue their current cases. The two fishermen had been closed today after they had proved that the man arrested had indeed been their killer, and that his rifle had in fact been the murder weapon. The murder of the mother and daughter out in the Gables however, was coming up empty so far. Maybe they would get a lead on that tomorrow.

Finally pulling into her parking spot at home, she killed the engine and made her way up to her apartment. The one bedroom apartment she had purchased when she first moved to Miami all these years ago was the closed thing she had to a real home in years, and although she could probably afford something bigger than this small property in a multi-story tower on the outskirts, she was reluctant to give it up. It was two streets down from the beach, and the luxury to take an early morning run by the water was worth more then a couple of square feet of extra space. She stepped off the elevator and unlocked her door. A smile appeared on her face as she kicked off her heels, and she went to the fridge to take out a beer. Drinking straight from the bottle, she took a big swig from the cold golden liquid and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Yes, tomorrow would be interesting. Today though, she could numb everything with her drink, and worry about it another day.

Tomorrow came too soon. Calleigh was one of the first people to show up to work after her usual morning run, which started before sunrise in order to make it to the lab at 7am. She quickly skimmed through the handovers the nightshift had left for her, and waited for everyone to get in before they would have a quick meeting in the conference room to discuss any further actions. She cleared her desk and waited for Horatio's call. Finally, they met up in the central room and everyone took a seat; Eric purposefully avoided eye contact and Calleigh knew she deserved it for her hard words the previous day, and for putting him through this emotional rollercoaster. Horatio cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.

"So people, here's the deal: We still have no news on the Gables murders. Nightshift checked the evidence to see if there was anything we overlooked or something that had developed after we processed it, but nothing's come up so far. Ryan, how did it go with any possible witnesses?"

"Nothing. Natalia and I checked the victims' social scene, where they had been, and who they came in contact with. The daughter was at a nightclub called 'Phantom' with friends the night before her murder, but besides that nobody has seen anything."

"I see. What about the mother?"

"Well-liked lady in the neighborhood, active charity member and working at a florist shop downtown that she owns. Nothing in her background or group of friends that suggested anything like this," Natalia answered.

"So what do we do now? Are we just gonna drop it?" Walter asked with his eyebrows raised.

"Well, we will go over everything one more time and see if we can't find out anything new; but, we have multiple cases on our hands, all of which need to be processed just as urgently," Calleigh answered dutifully while underlining her words with looking everyone in the eye, averting her glance before she would catch Eric's eye.

Suddenly, Horatio's cell phone rang, he picked it up and listened for a couple of seconds before answering: "I understand." He hung up and turned around. "Calleigh, your father is in the lobby. He says he needs to see you right now."

Calleigh furrowed her brows and stood up. What did he want now? She sighed. Her father usually came to see her either to ask for help because he was drunk, or to apologize for his drunkenness the previous night. It was like a scheme that repeated itself every so often, and she was tired of it. He was her father after all, so there was no way she would turn him away, and she became used to their little game, even though it was annoying. She knew he didn't do it on purpose, and she still loved him unconditionally.

"Is it ok if…?" she asked hesitantly.

"Of course. It sounded urgent."

"Ok, I'm gonna check on him," she said before getting up and turning to leave.

He was standing by the reception desk as she approached the lobby. A shock ran down her spine as she caught sight of him standing there. His suit was stained with mud and grass, his hair was tousled and his pants were ripped on the left leg. What scared her most was the look on his face, which was nothing she had ever seen before, so she rushed to his side.

"Dad, what happened?" she enquired worriedly.

"_Lamb chop_," he stammered, surprisingly controlled, as she had expected him to be drunk out of his mind. "It's your Momma. She's in trouble."

"Why, what did she do now? Is the neighbor suing her again because she dropped dog feces in his garden? What do you want me to do, run a DNA test to see if it was somebody else's dog?" She was getting angry, and her father stepped up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder while looking her deep in the eyes. Immediately, she regretted her words.

"No, no, it's nothing like that. You know it was a stupid thing to do of her, but that's your mother for ya." He smiled sadly before continuing, "I know you have had some differences with her, but she loves you, and she needs you right now." She looked at him expectantly, and he sighed before answering. "She's been in a terrible accident, and it's not looking good."

"What do you mean, not looking good?" she asked, all anger gone from her voice completely now.

"They…they don't know how much longer she's going to last. That's why I came here, to tell you. And I thought that you might want to, I mean… you might want to see her one last time. After all, she's your Momma!" She took note of the little duffle bag next to him.

Calleigh took a step back, her left hand covering her mouth. She couldn't believe it. It had been years since she had been to Louisiana to see her mother and younger sister, and she hadn't spoken to them in months. Yes, her mother wasn't her favorite, but she was her mother after all, and she knew that even though she might not have been the caring kind, she had loved her daughter in her own way. It felt like forever, but in reality it was just a couple of seconds it took Calleigh to pull herself together and do what Calleigh Duquesne did best: be strong and proactive.

"Ok Dad, I'm going to call the airline, we're taking the next flight out. Why don't you go and clean yourself up a little before we leave?"

"Alright, my car's outside. I'm gonna drive."

"No, no way you're going to drive in your state!" she protested as she took a look at her father's clearly intoxicated composure.

"And you shouldn't either," a voice sounded from the background and they turned around.

Horatio was standing in the middle of the lobby, fingering his glasses and looking at Calleigh intently. He knew he was like a father to her, and he felt the need to protect the fragile looking woman in front of him. It didn't happen often that something shook her inner core, and she tried to cover it up very well, but he had learned to see past her outer façade over the years. She looked at him now, a confused look in her eyes, and he quickly spoke up before she could start to protest.

"You are not driving, it's out of the question. I am giving you a ride to the airport."

"Thanks" she mumbled, not daring to say anything else, before turning to her father, "Dad I'm going to get my things from my locker and book a flight. Go clean yourself up! I will be right back." She sent Horatio a grateful look as she rushed past him to the locker-room. Luckily she always kept an extra set of clothes and a small bag of toiletries at the lab, since there was no time to go home and pack; this would have to do.

The ride to the airport was quiet, and Horatio quickly said goodbye after they had checked in, as dispatch was sending him to a new crime scene minutes after they gotten their boarding cards, but he hugged her tightly and told her to call if she needed anything. Calleigh's head was spinning as she tried to keep up with the speed in which things were happening. She could barely remember saying goodbye to Natalia and Walter, who she had managed to track down quickly on her way back down to the lobby. Now, she was sitting in her seat next to her father, but she gazed out of the window to try and avoid having a conversation with her father. After a while, she could hear him snoring softly next to her, and she sighed. Hopefully, he would have sobered up a little more after the sandwich she had made him eat and the sleep he was getting.

Finally, the plane dipped slightly as it approached the airport, and she could see the familiar structure of the wetlands surrounding New Orleans from her window. Soon enough, the city came into view as they came closer to the ground, and seconds later the plane touched down softly on the runway. The minute she stepped off the plane, the all too familiar humidity and heat struck her like a wall. She couldn't believe Horatio had let her go just like that, without asking; but she knew that family was something very important to him, so he understood. Up to this point, family had never been a very important part of Calleigh's life. Too many disappointments and bad memories had driven her away in the first place, and she barely gave it a thought; usually, she put all her efforts into work. Now, it was about to change.

Once they had gotten through the passport checks, they made their way out. Immediately, she spotted him. The telltale blond hair, green eyes and crooked smile made him stand out to her, so that she would have been able to recognize him miles away, no matter how much time had passed since she had last seen him. She had called him from the car on the way to the airport, and he had agreed to pick them up. Suddenly, this place felt less doomed as she approached his smiling figure, and her feet couldn't carry her fast enough across the distance that kept her from her brother.

"Edward!" she called out as they came closer.

He sprinted towards them and caught her in a firm hug. How she had missed him! Although he was younger than her, her brother had always been a few inches taller, and she fit easily into his arms. She closed her eyes and hugged him back squeezing tightly, inhaling his familiar scent. Suddenly, she felt the urge to cry. A few tears slipped down her face, and he brushed them away with the back of his hand once he pulled away.

"It's been a while," he said and offered another of his famous smiles, which she couldn't help but return; all tears forgotten.

"Too long," she answered, as she looked him in the eye.

"Edward, good to see you son," their father stated as he caught up with the too.

"Hey Dad." Edward quickly gave his father an awkward hug after he had detangled himself from his sister.

"Any news on Mom?" Calleigh enquired as they made their way to his car.

"She's on life support. Everyone has been here to see her, because the doctors said she might not make it through the night."

Calleigh swallowed. Suddenly, another thought crossed her mind. "Ed, what about Ellie?"

"She's… she's freaking out, Cal. I mean, she's only fifteen! Gran is taking care of her at the moment, but she's been missing school the last few days, and she spends most of her time in hospital. I'm really worried about her."

"Can't you take her in? I mean, considering you live the closest…"

"Calleigh, let's be honest, you know me. I'm a writer. Most of the time, I just get by. How do you expect me to take care of a kid? And a teenager at that!"

She knew he was right. Her brother had been living in Baton Rouge ever since she had moved away from New Orleans, and his career hadn't been going well since. Sometimes, he managed to write a few articles for one of the newspapers around, which barely paid his rent. He had gotten very thin, since his diet seemed to only consist of tobacco, coffee and liquor most of the time, and she wondered how much longer he would be able to go on. It wasn't like she should be very surprised, since the majority of her family seemed to get by this way. It was still somewhat of an disappointment to her that her closest brother, whom she had shared so many difficult memories with, was going down the same path their parents had chosen, and was slipping through her fingers. Often, she had blamed herself for not seeing the early signs, but in the end she had just given up and taken the only possible solution that remained: leave town and get away as far as possible. She looked him straight in the eye.

"I know, Edward. But let's be reasonable. She needs someone to stay with, and I am sure that she'll refuse to go with us to Miami; you know that she loves it here, and she needs stability at the moment. It's the middle of the school year, I don't think she'd cope with that."

"Let's not talk about it now; Mom's not even dead yet." He said quietly and she looked down.

"You know what happened?" she enquired.

"From what they told me in the hospital, she fell down the stairs from the apartment, and you know how steep and narrow these steps are. Momma Dean found her in a pool of blood on the bottom of the stairs, it seems as if she'd been lying there for a while."

"Was she…" Calleigh fought for composure, "..was she intoxicated?"

"What?"

"Ed, was she drunk?" she asked bluntly.

"Yes, and not just a little" he answered quietly, and she closed her eyes.

They had reached the car, and she used the passenger door as support while she leaned on it for a second of weakness. Alcohol. Finally, the poison would claim its first victim in the family. And it wasn't like she would be able to arrest anyone and make them pay, make them feel the pain she was feeling now. No, instead she would have to watch and wait while at least two more family members drank their way towards a certain death.

Half an hour later, they arrived in the hospital. Immediately, they moved to the Intensive Care floor, and Calleigh hesitated shortly before pushing open the doors that let to the waiting area. Only one patient at a time was allowed in the patients room, so all visitors had to wait before being admitted. A young girl with long, blonde hair was sitting in one of the chairs next to an older woman with strikingly white hair that was tied neatly on top of her head. The girl's eyes lit up once she caught sight of Calleigh and she jumped up right into her older sister's waiting arms. Calleigh hugged her little sister tightly.

"I'm so glad you came", the girl choked between sobs and Calleigh soothingly stroked her head and shoulders.

"Shhh, it's ok sweetpea," she murmured, "We're here now."

"Ellie…" Kenwall said softly and stroke the back of his youngest daughter's head.

"Hey Dad," she greeted him, her voice muffled by Calleigh's shirt.

"Kenwall, nice of you to show," the older women finally piped up as she stood.

"Virginia, how are you?" he asked stiffly.

"I'm alright, personally. I wish we would meet under circumstances though."

"Come on Gran, cut him some slack," Edward whispered into his grandmother's ear and she chuckled darkly. "Fine."

She then turned towards Calleigh, who had given her sister over to her brother. "Calleigh, sweetheart, it's so good to see ya" she said, her accent drawling, as she caught Calleigh in a firm hug.

The blonde woman smiled sadly. There had been more hugging the last few hours than her family had done in a long time, and it was sad that something like this had to happen to bring them together. Finally, she was asked to go in and see her mother. When she entered the room, all she could her was the rhythmic beeping and the breathing sound from the machines that kept her alive. The stale hospital smell was all around, and the women that lay in bed in front of her didn't look like the woman she remembered. The blonde hair was streaked with silver, and clung to her skull, her mouth hang slightly ajar and her skin was a strange shade of creamy grey, as if all the life had been sucked out of her. Calleigh silently slipped into the seat beside the bed and hesitantly reached for her mother's limp hand on top of the covers. It was ice cold and seemed horribly small and fragile.

"Hey Mom," Calleigh breathed. "It's Calleigh. Dad and I just flew in from Miami to see you. Edward, Ellie and Grandma are outside, too."

She ran out of words to say, she didn't even know if her mother could hear her. The doctors weren't sure if she would make the night, so this would most likely be the last time she would ever see her mother alive, and she had no idea what to tell her. Finally, she decided to just speak whatever came to her mind.

"Ellie's very scared what will happen with her once you leave; but I don't want you to worry, we will find a solution and we'll take care of her. I promise."

Calleigh wasn't sure if she was imagining things, but she could swear she felt her mother's hand tighten around her own. From experience she knew that this didn't mean anything, and her mother most probably had lost consciousness a long time ago, but even so, she saw it as a sign of approval. Carefully, she pushed some weak streaks of hair from her mother's forehead and kissed the top of her head before turning to leave. She sat down with Ellie, Edward and her grandmother while her father went inside. Ellie rested her head on her sister's shoulder and silently stared into space. Nobody spoke a word, and the silence seemed so heavy Calleigh felt like she could barely breathe. Suddenly, a siren went off and lights started flashing. A group of nurses came sprinting down the corridor and pushed open the doors to her mother's room. Moments later, they had ushered her father back into the waiting room.

"Dad, what's happening?" Ellie shrieked, almost hysterical.

"I…I don't know, she just crashed…" he stammered.

All they could do was wait. After what felt like hours, a doctor finally approached them. She had a tired look on her face, and Calleigh recognized as _the look_ that she knew meant bad news. Silently, she gripped her sister's hand even tighter. Kenwall stood and approached the woman, silently asking her a couple of questions. Suddenly, his shoulders fell and his whole body seemed to slump down. He turned around to face his family, and Calleigh was shocked to see his face, it seemed ten years older, and the worried lines grazing his forehead seemed much deeper. He was unable to speak, but they all understood. Calleigh closed her eyes tightly and a few tears rolled down her cheeks. Ellie was sobbing in her arms, and her grandmother was silently crying in the seat next to her while the men just exchanged a pained look that spoke more than a thousand words. She was gone.

They stayed at the hospital for a couple more hours, and her grandmother made arrangements for the funeral in a few days time. Finally, Calleigh decided it was time to take Ellie home, as the girl looked like she hadn't slept in days. Edward's car silently passed through the dark side streets on their way to their mother's apartment, and Calleigh was sitting in the backseat with Ellie holding on to her, while her father and brother silently sat at the front. A thousand things went through Calleigh's mind, and it scared her. She had no idea what to do about her sister, there seemed to be no possible solution, unless she ended up in a foster home. She was still contemplating possible options when they came to a halt in front of the house. How long she hadn't been here she thought as she got out of the car. It looked exactly the same it had ten years ago, when she had last been to visit. A dog was barking somewhere in the distance and she could hear someone scream in the house across the street. The lights on the house's ground floor were still on, and the door opened as they made their way towards the narrow staircase off the side that led up to the upper floor. An older large, black lady appeared in the doorway. Her hair was pinned up in curlers and she was in her bathrobe, but she started to smile as she recognized the blonde in front of her.

"Calleigh! It's been years!" she exclaimed before wrapping the younger woman in a bone-crushing hug.

"Momma Dean," Calleigh choked, "It's so good to see you!"

"Look at you! You're a fine young lady now, ain't ya?" She smiled before she turned serious; a familiar sadness was evident in her eyes that were red and swollen from crying. "Darlin' I'm so sorry about your Momma. She was a good woman. Found her laying her in her own blood, poor thing. Your brother called me from the hospital just now, it's a terrible, terrible thing!"

"Thank you. I know she appreciated everything you've done for us."

"You're going to stay here now to look after your sister, ain't that right? She needs you."

Calleigh swallowed hard, unable to form a word. Edward, Ellie and her father had made their way up already, and she was standing across from the lady she had known all these years ago. What was she going to do?

"Momma Dean, I'm really not sure. I have a job in Miami that I can't just give up, it's what I've worked for all my life!"

"I know, sweetheart, I know. And I know you've worked so hard all these days when you were living here, but she's your little sister, and she's all alone. You're all she has now."

"Edward's still here, and Dad, and Jamie is coming down for the funeral soon…"

"Calleigh, you know better than I do that none of these fools know nothin' about taking care of a girl! They can barely look after themselves, and look what a bad job they're doin'."

The conversation with the friendly neighbor had made her thoughtful, and she contemplated her options once again while climbing up the stairs to the apartment. Everyone else was already inside, and Edward put the takeout they had gotten from the shop by the restaurant on the little table by the couch. Kenwall was already dead out on the sofa, his light snoring filling the room. Edward opened the Chinese take-out box and reached for a pair of chopsticks. Ellie was nowhere to be seen.

"You should eat something," he said and took a bite of his food.

"No, thank you, but I'm not hungry. Where's Ellie?"

"Must be in her room. Grandma already went back to Darnell to arrange the funeral, since we're here now to look after her until then."

Calleigh sat down in the small armchair across from him, sighing deeply and putting a hand to her forehead. "Ed, I don't know what to do with this situation."

"Well, actually, Dad said earlier that he's going to move here. He's an independent attorney, so it's easier for him to move around." Calleigh shot up in her seat, eyes wide.

"Edward, Dad can barely take care of himself, she'll end up looking after him more than anything else!"

"Oh come on Cal, I'm still here, too. I'm going to come look after them every weekend if I can!"

"You two, taking care of a teenage girl? I wanna see that!"

"You really don't trust us much, do you? But, tell me something, do you have a better idea?"

She was quiet. Yes, of course she knew the answer, and she knew he was right. There was, however, another solution; it was the one she didn't want to think about. She threw her hands up in defeat.

"I'm sorry, Ed, it's just that Ellie is a human being, and she's family. It's not a dog we're talking about here."

"I understand that, Cal. And I know that it's normal for you to be suspicious and worried, I mean, you've seen these things go horribly wrong more than once, so…I understand. You have to give us a chance though. We won't disappoint you, or Ellie for that matter. I promise."

"Please don't promise me something you're not sure you can keep. Just promise me you'll try your hardest to keep her from harm, ok? It makes me nervous to think Dad's going to be so far from my reach too. You haven't been close to him the recent years the way I have, Ed. I'm just worried."

She had gotten up and walked around the room while speaking, so he got up to stand in front of her, wrapping his arms around her. It took her a few seconds until she hesitantly returned the affection.

"I understand why you're worried, Cal; but, I promise I will try very hard. I promise," he whispered in her hair and she buried her face in his shirt as she clung to him.

The next few days passed in a flurry of feelings and impressions. Ellie was quiet most of the time and kept to herself while everyone else was trying to prepare for the funeral. Calleigh was surprised how comfortable she was in the presence of her family, and once again it proved to her just how much she missed them; her brother Edward especially. They had been like twins growing up, since they were barely a year apart. When they had been little, they had promised each other never to separate. How silly these promises seemed now, but back then it had felt right. Reality had broken them apart, but she still felt the familiar connection between them even when she was miles away. They didn't speak too often over the phone, sometimes she didn't hear from him for months; but when he would call, it was still as if they had never separated.

Now, they were preparing for the three-hour drive up to Darnell for their mother's funeral. Calleigh hadn't been there for over ten years, and a mixture of wonder and anxiety rushed through her veins the morning of their departure that made her stomach do flips. Her brother loaded his old ford with their bags and the flowers that had gotten from the florist. The car, Calleigh noted, had seen better days. There seemed to be more dents in the exterior than straight parts, and the red paint was slowly chipping off. The interior was worn, but surprisingly clean; and she suspected that her brother had cleaned it thoroughly before coming to get them from the airport.

They had left in the early morning in order to make it to the funeral at 10am. The graveyard was a few miles north of the village and shaded by the massive old oak trees, they gathered around the old family tomb. It was one last reminder of the family's former glory, and two massive angel statues graced the entrance to the crypt, but the whole structure seemed weathered and beaten, since nobody had the money to restore it properly. Calleigh smiled as she took it in, and decided that it gave the whole thing a certain charm. It seemed somewhat morbidly ironic, but that suited her family. A small group had gathered around the tomb already, and a soft breeze swept through her hair as they walked through the perfect sunshine towards their family and relatives. She could see a few children running around and playing between the graves. A young, red-haired woman was standing close by and keeping an eye on them, silently watching their every move.

"Hey Abigail," Calleigh called out to her softly once they drew nearer, and the woman turned towards her with a warm smile.

"Calleigh, hi! It's good to see you," she said while the two women shared a somewhat awkward hug.

"I know; it's been a while. The kids look great, I haven't seen them in a very long time; they've grown so much."

"Yeah, I know. It's been a while since we came to see you in Miami. It's just hard to get time for a proper vacation." Her expression suddenly changed and she raised her voice as she called out to a seven year old boy, a certain urgency swinging in her voice, "Parker James Duquesne, DO NOT touch the Spanish moss, do you hear me?"

"They're quite a handful, aren't they? Where's my little brother?"

"Yeah, trust me. Three of them is more than enough. James is just over there." She pointed towards another blond-haired man in his late twenties, almost identical to Edward. He was standing next to their grandmother, his arm loosely wrapped around her shoulders. Calleigh quickly excused herself and made her way over.

"Jamie, Grandma," she greeted the two once she was close enough.

"Cal!" he exclaimed and quickly hugged her, giving her a small smile.

"I haven't seen you kids together since ya'll were still in school," her grandmother remarked, smiling somewhat.

"I know, it's always tragedies that bring the Duquesne clan together," Kenwall chimed in.

"I guess we did a good job of getting away from here," Jamie joked.

"Oh yeah, and you made sure to get as far away as possible! I still can't understand how you can cope with the cold up there," Calleigh said smiling and got a smirk in return.

"Alaska isn't that bad, sis, you really should come see us some time."

"If I ever feel like changing my whole wardrobe to fit arctic conditions, yes, maybe."

The pastor arrived, and the funeral began. Despite the occasional sob and tears, it was quiet otherwise. Calleigh held Ellie's hand the whole way, and the fragile girl clung to her for support on the way back to the car, her eyes swollen and bloodshot. Lunch was served in her grandmother's garden in front of the old, white manor. Just like the tomb, the house seemed like it was falling apart and in desperate need of restoration, but there was no money for that. Memories flooded her head as she stepped onto the lawn; some of them happy, some of them sad. Most of their childhood they had actually spend at their grandmother's house with their grandfather chasing them around, threatening them with his walking stick he had to lean on because of his old war injury. Her grandfather had been a scary man, but somehow Calleigh had managed to win him over with her charms, just like almost every man she had met ever since, a trait she considered lucky and helpful.

She was standing by the stairs leading up to the houses and observing the scene in front of her when her grandmother approached her. She stood silently next to her granddaughter for a few moments before turning towards her, and stroking her hair with a loving look on her face.

"You look a lot like your mother, you know that, honey?" She said softly and Calleigh smiled.

"Yeah," she managed to say.

"Calleigh, sweetheart, I know that you've been working really hard to get where you are now, and that you don't have many good memories here," she paused, and Calleigh wondered where she was going with this, "but don't you think it's enough? You can run as far as you want, but this place is where you grew up, this is your heritage. Don't you think it's time to come home?"

Calleigh looked at her, unable to provide her with a fitting answer just yet. Every fiber of her being was protesting to the idea, but somewhere deep down she knew that the woman was right. If only her own mother had been half as understanding as the white-haired lady in front of her, whose sparkling green eyes were the exact duplicate of her own.

"You know, Grandma, sometimes I wonder how a woman as witty as you could raise such an ignorant woman as my mother," she remarked and smiled bitterly.

"Calleigh, I know that I am guilty of many things, and spoiling my children is one of them; but one thing I know: with you lot, I got a second chance. And I think after all, looking at you, I did a pretty good job." Calleigh smiled.

"I know you did."

"Sweetheart, I think now it's your turn. Your sister really needs you, she is so young…"

"Grandma, I'm not ready to be a mother. I'm going to fail, and I don't want to disappoint her."

"Your mother wasn't ready to have you when she did, and I blame myself for that, but Calleigh… you're nothing like your mother, never forget that. Think about it."

Saying goodbye to her family again was surprisingly hard for Calleigh. Her father was already staying in New Orleans for a couple more days, so she was alone as they left her at the airport. Both men promised her again to take good care of the girl, and she hugged Ellie tightly before passing through the passport checks. A certain feeling of relief flooded through her system as she spotted Miami's familiar features beneath her, but it was weighing down by the familiar ache that hadn't left her since the plane had taken off in Louisiana. It scared her that a small part, deep down, believed that her grandmother's words had been right; and that part was growing bigger and bigger by the second.

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><p><strong>So there we go! I hope I left it at a better part then the last one, didn't mean to leave you hanging.<strong>


	3. Roadtrip

**Well, I wasn't actually planning on writing another chapter so soon, but my muse just begged me the past week, and I actually wrote this the day after. The next chapter's already started, but don't know when that'll get finished. This one is a little intense, and I hope I got the storyline straight. Oh and I didn't intent for this to become a crossover, but I recently watched CSI NY and realized that Stella had actually moved to New Orleans…which gives me a very interesting addition to my plot, and a nice surprise. Hope you like it, and please do leave me some feedback! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Again, I own nobody and nothing recognizable!**

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><p>The water was slowly sinking and rising in a steady pattern, the white foamy mist almost reached her feet as she ran by the water's edge in a rhythmic pace she had synchronized with the beating of her heart and the rhythm of the waves. Sometimes, she thought that she would be unable to run somewhere else, where there were no waves to measure her steps. She didn't need any music, or radio, or any conversation; the sound of the water filled her mind with calming nothingness. The ring of her cell phone was what startled her out of her trance and she stopped to retrieve the small object from the pocket of her shorts. Work.<p>

"Hello, this is Duquesne," she said a little out of breath.

"_Hey Calleigh, it's Ryan!"_ a familiar voice sounded from the other end of the line.

"Ryan, what's up?"

"_Hope I'm not interrupting anything? There's been an incident downtown, they need all hands on deck; I'll send you the details_."

"Sure, I'll be right there."

So much for her relaxing morning run. Thankfully, she was relatively close to home, and she sprinted the last distance to the main entrance of her apartment block. Her flat was on the second floor, and she ran up the stairs, opening the door with the keys from under her doormat, breathing heavily. A quick shower would have to do, and she swiftly braided her damp hair before rushing out the door and programming the coordinates Ryan had sent her into the Hummer's GPS. One good thing about being on call was that she could take home the department vehicle. Sirens blaring, she made her way downtown. Thirty minutes had passed since Ryan had called her, and the sun was slowly rising higher on the horizon as the time slowly crept towards 7am as she arrived on scene and parked the Hummer. From a distance she could see Walter's tall figure walking next to Natalia's slender frame, and Ryan was already in his gloves and kneeling next to a victim in the middle of the street, ruining his white pants.

"One would think you'd be smarter than to wear white pants to a crime scene, Wolfe," she commented once she got near.

"Morning to you too, Calleigh. Did I interrupt you with anything or did you get up on the wrong foot this morning? Besides, Delko wears white stuff to work all the time!" he retorted.

"That's because I know how to keep it clean," Eric answered as he came up behind them, and exchanged an awkward smile with Calleigh that served as a greeting.

Things hadn't really changed between them in the two weeks since the talk they had had in the locker room. He had offered her his condolences after she had returned from her mother's funeral in Louisiana, and asked if she was ok or needed anything, but she had politely refused him. Their relationship had been pretty icy ever since, and even though they both tried very hard, it didn't seem to change. Calleigh was close to giving up, and decided she would just sit back and wait, unable to do anything about it. It was driving her crazy. She missed her best friend.

After processing the scene, Calleigh was forced to take Eric back to the lab, since Horatio had called them both in for an errand. They drove in silence for a few minutes until she decided it was enough. She couldn't stand his seemingly careless demeanor anymore, and she had never been known to not speak her mind. Enough was enough.

"Are you ever going to speak to me again?" she asked nonchalantly while keeping her eyes on the road, "We do work together everyday, you realize that."

He scoffed and turned his head away from her, "Talk about being subtle, Calleigh."

"I'm sorry, what else do you want me to say? Frankly, I've had enough of the cold shoulder treatment, and I would like to know if there's anything I can do to get my best friend back!"

"It's nothing," he murmured quietly.

"Nothing? Then why the hell are you avoiding me like the plague, even at work! I've tried to apologize for what I said in the locker room that day…"

"See, that's the thing, I don't want you to apologize! That was the first time I've seen a real, emotional reaction from you in months, Calleigh. I didn't even know if you cared at all anymore."

"Of course I care, why else would I be talking to you right now?"

"Please, whatever you do, just don't apologize. I can't keep up with your emotional walls you seem to build higher and higher around you every day."

The last few seconds, every possible emotion had run through her body: anger, guilt, sadness, and pain. Now, everything that was left was guilt. She knew that she had put him through an emotional rollercoaster with her, and the instability in her ability to show her true feelings had been very difficult to understand for somebody like Eric, who was wearing his feelings on his sleeve. Sometimes she wondered if that was the Latino blood in him, but most of the time she come to the conclusion that it must have been his upbringing that had been so different from hers. They had arrived at the lab's parking lot and Calleigh put the car into park, but neither of them moved to open their doors. She turned towards him, and for the first time in weeks he didn't look away.

"Look, Eric, all I want is to be able to speak to you and talk to you like we always did, like…" she started, but he finished her sentence for her.

"…Like nothing ever happened? I can't do that, Calleigh." She sighed.

"Eric, we agreed to be just friends, and that it would not affect the way we work –"

"Ok, we can be professional about it, it's fine. You're good at that, but I might need a little bit of practice in hiding behind a wall."

"Are you just saying this to get me worked up? Because you're doing a pretty good job at it!"

"I'm not, ok? But it's the truth!"

"Is this fight the only reason you've been so distant? You somehow seem different, and I don't know what it is. You know you can talk to me about anything."

"Well, not everything," he mumbled and avoided her eyes again.

"Eric…"

"I've wanted to tell you for a while, but after you flipped out when I flirted with Samantha-"

"I didn't flip!"

"Calleigh, you looked like you were going to bite my head off."

"Maybe. I was pretty upset."

"You were."

"So what is it you wanted to tell me?"

"I…Calleigh."

"Come on, Eric, gut the crap. What's up?"

"Well…you remember the Taunter case?" he began.

"Of course, how could I forget? What about him?"

"Well, when we were trying to catch Esteban that time, I met Elizabeth Clark on the road to ask her if she had seen the missing girl-"

"Oh yeah, the redhead. I remember that she'd been our informant."

"Well, it's just… I've been seeing her for a while now."

"What do you mean, 'seeing her'?" she asked, and a lump started to form in her throat as her stomach turned. "Seeing her as in meeting her casually somewhere on the street or seeing her as in 'going out'?"

"We're involved," he answered vaguely.

"Eric! She's part of an ongoing investigation-"

"Come on, don't pull the rule book card on me!"

"You forget that I'm your superior, Eric. I'm concerned for you, both as your colleague and your friend! I just don't want you to get hurt-"

"Why would she hurt me; because she's _'one of those girls'_? Believe me, she's different. And it's not like I haven't been hurt before," he said and his voice was laced with deep emotions ranging from anger to hurt and disappointment.

She pressed her lips together to a thin line, knowing she deserved all this for making him feel that way. Still, knowing that he'd finally found somebody else was just equally painful.

Suddenly, they heard a knock on one of the car windows. Horatio was standing outside, a quizzical look on his face as Calleigh rolled down the window.

"I thought patrol were kidding when they told me two of my CSI were sitting in the parking lot for the past 15 minutes. Any particular reason you're still sitting in the car while there's a pressing matter waiting upstairs?" he asked with a slight hint of disapproval in his voice, hands on his hips.

He looked back and forth between them, before speaking again, "Am I interrupting anything?"

"Sorry, H, we were just finished," Eric replied and got out of the car, "I'll see you upstairs." He went inside without looking back.

"That went well." Calleigh mumbled as she got out of the car herself and slammed the door shut.

"Everything alright, ma'am?" Horatio enquired with his right eyebrow rising above his sunglasses.

"I'm not sure," she said absentmindedly, following Eric's retreating figure with her eyes.

"You know, we are scientists, and it's only normal that we try to make every decision with our head. But sometimes," he took off his sunglasses and spun them in his hand "sometimes it's better to listen to your heart, Calleigh."

"I know what you're hinting at, but I don't think it's that easy."

"To our head, many decisions the heart makes seem irrational, but what we forget is that the heart is driven by instinct, while head is driven by memories and experience. If we would always go by our head, we would miss many good opportunities just because we never experienced them before." He smiled at her.

"When did you become so poetic, Horatio?" she asked him as she returned his smile.

"With age and experience," he answered before he put his glasses back on. "Let's get to work."

The cases were dragging on. Fortunately, Horatio had changed his mind and send Eric away on another call shortly after they got in, and Calleigh was somewhat relieved. She knew, however, that it was just postponing the inevitable, and they would have to talk about this some day. Just not today. She stayed at the lab longer than she needed to in order to avoid meeting anyone in the locker rooms. Sadly, she didn't succeed, and most of her team was standing between their open lockers as she entered.

"Oh, what are you guys still doing here? I thought you would have left hours ago?" she said casually while opening her own locker, trying to conceal the emotions on her face.

"Well, we worked late for once as well, and then we decided to wait for you since we're all going out for drinks," Natalia explained.

"No excuses," Walter added as Calleigh opened her mouth to protest.

"Come on, you've been working hard enough, you can use a little fun," a voice said quietly on her right and she turned to meet Eric's eyes.

She eyed him carefully, questioning him with her eyes and he nodded silently; his smile and a friendly glint in his eyes told her that he had cooled down immensely, and that he had actually meant it. Everyone else had been watching intently and exchanging hopeful glances as they observed the scene before them. Finally, Calleigh turned towards them with a somewhat forced smile, hoping no one would notice. Thankfully, they didn't.

"Let's go!" she announced.

They had barely excited the building when her phone rang. She checked the caller id and worried lines appeared on her forehead as she took in the name that appeared on the display in combination with the time. It was already 11pm in Miami, so why was her sister calling her at 10pm at night?

"Hello?" she answered the phone.

"_Calleigh? Cal? Thank God! Please, you need to help me, please!"_ she heard the panicking voice on the other end.

"Ok, calm down sweetheart, what's wrong? Where are you?" she asked, concerned.

"_I don't know! Some back road? I went to this strange bar to get Dad. He called me. He was really drunk, so I got in the car and came to get him-"_

"You did what? You don't even have a permit yet; you could have gotten killed on the road! Did Dad ask you to do this?"

"_He said that it wasn't far and that I would be ok. But I couldn't find him, and these strange guys started talking to me. I got so scared and left, but I think they followed me and now I don't know where I am…please, Calleigh, I'm so scared!"_

"Hold on sweetheart, I'm going to try and find out where you are through your phone, and I'll send the police over to you, ok? Just stay where you are, get in the car and lock the doors, you hear me?"

"_Please hurry!"_

Calleigh turned around and run back towards the building, everyone else in tow. Natalia finally caught up to her and stopped her before her hand touched the door handle.

"Calleigh, what on earth is happening?" she asked.

"My sister, she's lost somewhere in the woods, my Dad called her out there, because he was drunk. I have to send a car out to get her, and I'm going to kill my Dad if I ever get my hands on him!" she said heatedly as she pushed through the doors.

"Man, he better invest into some Kevlar!" Walter commented as they followed her into the building.

It took her mere seconds to trace her sister's number back to a dead end road on the outskirts of New Orleans. She had no idea how the girl had ended up there, but inwardly she was cursing her father for refusing to get a car with stick shift. Everyone could drive an automatic, even a fifteen-year-old girl without a license. She dialed the number of the NOPD sheriff station and got a familiar voice on the other end.

"_NOPD, this is detective Jake Berkeley."_

"Jake?" she asked disbelievingly and saw Eric furrow his brows in disapproval.

"_Calleigh? I didn't think I'd have to deal with you the one night I'm covering the nightshift over here."_

"I'm sorry Jake, I don't really have much time. I'd ask what the hell you're doing in New Orleans of all places, but… My sister's out in the wetlands by herself, she drove my Dad's car…she doesn't know how to get back and it's late, she's scared…"

"_I get it, Calleigh, but I'm not really being paid to babysit-"_

"Come on Jake, she's fifteen years old!"

"_Alright, alright, I'm sending a car out to get her. I'll call you when she gets here. You owe me one!"_

"I do, thanks Jake!"

"_You bet." _

She hung up the call and put her phone back in her purse, sighing deeply. Why did she have to deal with her father's mess even though she was 1000 miles away? Suddenly she felt Eric's hand on her shoulder squeezing it lightly to let her know he was there and she gave him a small smile.

"I'm sorry guys, I don't think I'm up for drinks, really. I'll stay here until I get any news from my sister and then I'm going home and have some sleep. I'm really tired."

"Are you sure?" Ryan enquired and took a look at her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. You guys should go and have fun."

"You know what, we could just get a few drinks and snacks from the vending machines in the break room and wait here with you," Natalia offered.

"Sure, I'll stay with you," Eric agreed.

"What about Valera and Trevor? They're waiting for us at the bar!" Walter threw in.

"How about you guys go and we stay here with Calleigh. We might come later." Natalia decided.

"Are you sure? Alright, keep us updated though," Ryan commented before they turned to leave.

She could still feel Eric's hand protectively on her shoulder as the three of them walked down to the break room, but it didn't bother her the least bit; it calmed her down immensely. After all, this was what friends were here for. As they rounded another corner, Horatio was walking towards them.

"I just got a call from NOPD, saying they're looking for your sister in the national wetlands?" he enquired with a worried look on his face.

"Yes. Jake's actually helping out at the nightshift, God knows what he's been assigned to. He said he'd call me once he got her."

"Any news so far?"

"No, I just spoke to him a couple of minutes ago. " she answered and as if on cue her cell phone started ringing. She picked up instantly. "Jake? Do you have her?"

"_I send a unit out to the location you send me. They found a white Range Rover over there, is that your father's car?"_

"Yes, yes it is! Have you got her?"

"_I'm sorry, Calleigh. One of the windows was broken in and no sign of your sister…"_ his voice trailed off.

"Oh God…" Calleigh covered her eyes with her hand, trying to focus. "I'm taking the next flight out to New Orleans."

"_No, don't do that! If anybody tries to contact you, the lab is the first place they'll try. Stay put, I'll handle everything down here, don't worry, I got ya."_

"Jake, she's my little sister!"

"_Calleigh, trust me, I know. We'll find her, I promise! I'll call you with any news, ok?" _

"Ok."

She hung up the phone and buried her face in her hands. What was she supposed to do now? Why did she have to be so far away from the one person that needed her most right now? How many times had she been through the same scenario when a young girl disappeared? Everyone had been listening along, and Horatio was the first to break the silence.

"Calleigh, I don't want you to worry just yet. I'll get somebody to look into this. You stay here." He took out his phone and dialed a number before holding it to his ear while walking away. "Hello, this is Horatio Caine from the MDPD crime lab. Put me through to Lieutenant Stella Bonasera, please."

"I'm going to get some coffee, you guys want anything?" Natalia offered.

"No thanks," Calleigh answered with a small smile. Natalia nodded with a helpless expression on her face, and made her way to the little kitchenette.

Calleigh sat down at one of the tables, unable to process anything. Eric took the chair beside her and put his hand on the table next to her own, fingers lightly touching; but avoiding any further physical contact as if he didn't dare.

"You don't mind being here right now?" she asked.

"Why would I?" he wondered.

"I don't know, maybe you had plans…" she started, unable to finish, but he understood.

"Elizabeth will understand. She knows you're my friend."

"How long have you guys been together?"

"Calleigh, you really wanna talk about this?"

"Well, yes! We're family, so…"

"Not too long. We've been taking it slow, and I just wanted to make sure she was ok after what happened with her. We've been together for a few weeks now."

She was silent and tried to process what he had been saying. It was very unlikely for Eric Delko to take anything slow in that department, although he had waited over four years for her to come around. Somehow, she guessed that their fight in the locker room might have been the breaking point that had finally convinced him to take the next step. Had he been waiting for her, still? She wasn't sure, although it seemed plausible. She was lost in her own thoughts as Natalia joined them at the table and silently sipped her drink and occasionally exchanged glances with Eric.

It scared them to see their friend so quiet and thoughtful, since she was usually so happy and cheerful no matter what happened. A few hours passed as nobody said a word, until Calleigh's cell phone send everyone over the edge as it started ringing; Eric and Calleigh jumped in their seat and Natalia almost fell off the chair. She picked up on the second ring. Horatio was calling her upstairs, and seconds later they arrived in the computer lab where he was waiting for them.

"My friend Stella Bonasera is leading the new NOPD crime lab. She said she has some news, and I was about to give her a video call, I thought you should be here."

A few seconds later, a connection had been established between the labs and Stella's curly mane appeared on the screen. Despite everything Horatio managed a small smile, which she returned immediately.

"Stella, this is Detective Calleigh Duquesne, the girl's sister."

"I can see the resemblance, yes." She answered as she turned towards Calleigh. "Detective, we're doing everything we can do to find your sister."

"Thank you, I appreciate it." She answered.

"So, Stella, what is it you can tell me?" Horatio cut in.

"Well, I have some good and some bad news. Bad news is that we followed her trail back to a group of human traffickers operating here in the area; but, at least we know she's not dead. We've been investigating the ring for a while; they pray mostly on girls between fourteen and twenty, and bring them to the tourist towns all along the east coast for summer labor."

"Like modern slavery?"

"Exactly. But here's the good news: one of our undercover agents heard of a transport that left just this morning."

"Is your source reliable?"

"He's one of our agents, he works for the PD and the FBI. He also mentioned that we shouldn't try to intercept them, that would most likely end badly."

"So does he know where they're headed?"

"That's why I'm calling you, I'm just on my way over to you. The truck is bound for Miami."

The sky was barely getting lighter above the horizon as Horatio and Calleigh were standing on the rooftop platform, waiting for the helicopter to arrive. Dark clouds and a soft rumble of thunder formed the background for the early morning scenario unfolding before their eyes. The wind had picked up during the night and was now blowing freely through Calleigh's blonde tresses, but she didn't care. Finally, a soft roaring sound overpowered the wind's howling and the occasional thunder. A white helicopter came into view, and as it drew nearer they were able to make out 'NOLA crime lab' on the side of it in dark blue lettering. It landed within the white circle, and the second it had touched down on the roof its doors opened and three occupants jumped off the roaring machine.

Horatio approached the familiar figure that was walking their way and quickly pulled her to the side in order to exchange a few words. The sound of the running helicopter drowned out every other sound. Stella followed Calleigh and Horatio towards the elevators.

"Any news?" Horatio enquired once they were out of the helicopter's reach.

"No, not yet, I'm still waiting for my source to call me back. They are most likely still on the road, and I thought it was best to brief your team before we start."

They all met in the conference room around the table where Stella and the two fellow officers had set up their computers. Walter, Ryan and the rest of the crew had arrived early in order to start the search. There was a list of suspects as well as familiar routes and drivers they had to know before they started the operation.

"There are five girls missing, all of which are from the New Orleans area. Here's some pictures," Stella placed an ensemble of pictures in the middle of the table, " their names are Holly Lynn Richards, Abigail Mallory Sanders, Sarah Jane Perkins and Mariebelle Duquesne."

They took a look at the smiling faces in front of them. Every girl was different; from light to dark hair, black as well as whit, blue, green and brown eyes. The only thing these girls had in common was their age and their hometown. Calleigh swallowed as her finger traced over her sister's portrait.

"That's your sister?" Natalia whispered and Calleigh just smiled sadly in return.

"She looks a lot like you," Ryan agreed, Eric nodded his head as well. Finally, Stella spoke up again.

"You see, we need your help in terms of location. We suspect that they are holding the girls somewhere before they get separated. You know the area better than we do."

"I see. Do you have anything for us to go by?" Horatio enquired.

"Not yet. But I would guess the usual, empty storage area, off the busy roads, well-protected by a fence…"

"I see. I will get the dog units ready."

"We have clothes from all the girls."

"Good. We're going on the streets ASAP."

"What are we going to do, Horatio, check every single truck that's entering the city and inspect every single warehouse in a ten mile radius?" Calleigh asked disbelievingly.

"If we have to?" Stella answered and looked at her for a second before continueing, "Miss Duquesne, I think I'd be best if you were pulled from this case, this is too personal."

"What? Out of the question! My sister's out there on her own, I can't just sit here and wait!" Calleigh shot back heatedly.

"Lieutenant Bonasera, I don't think that'd be such a good idea," Horatio intervened. "You don't know CSI Duquesne as I do. If I take her off this case she will just take off on her own."

"You're very determined, isn't it? Dan already warned me," Stella answered half-jokingly with a crooked smile. Calleigh's eyes lit up at the mentioning of her old mentor.

"Dan's still working? How is he?"

"Very good, and he speaks very highly of you and your skills." Calleigh blushed slightly.

"Old charmer," she murmured, embarrassed.

"Well, let's get to work," Horatio decided and everyone left the room.

On her way to collect the evidence the NOPD had brought over, Calleigh suddenly stopped dead in her tracks as she spotted the two men that had just gotten off the elevator. Her father and Edward had taken the earliest available flight and were now walking towards her. Without a word she walked up to them and Edward wrapped her in his arms, while Kenwall silently stroked her hair. For the first time since she had gotten word of her sister's disappearance, Calleigh was finally able to cry. Eric watched from a distance, and even though he understood the seriousness of this situation, he couldn't fight that feeling of jealousy that was brewing in his stomach. Natalia was standing beside him and witnessed the look on his face as she stated the obvious:

"That must be her brother Edward." Eric felt a sense of relief run through his body.

"Oh yeah?" he asked.

"Come on, don't you see the resemblance? Blond hair? Green eyes? Dimpled smile?"

"Yeah, I guess." She laughed at his remark.

"Come on, Romeo, let's give them some privacy. We have a case on our hands," Natalia offered and dragged him outside.

Every other case had been laid on ice, and every available officer was patrolling the perimeter. They were travelling in their private cars in order to prevent any suspicion, but the day wore on without any news about the girls' whereabouts. Horatio had urged Calleigh to stay at the lab in order to do some more research, and it took a while until she finally agreed. Hours later, she jumped as she felt her pager vibrate on her hip. She cut the corner and raced down the corridor, stopping in front of the conference room trying to catch her breath.

"You really should slow down, or you will get a heart attack!" Stella exclaimed as she spotted the blonde standing in the doorway.

"What's the news?" Calleigh enquired, ignoring Stella's earlier remark.

"Well, we've found a truck back in New Orleans that has been used recently to traffic girls on the same route. My lab send over results from trace taken from the truck's tires." She picked up a fax that had just been printed, "It's…cocoa, palm oil and sugar…reads almost like a recipe."

"Chocolate." Calleigh answered instantly.

"Yeah, but those ingredients are used in multiple food preparations…"

"But we have a huge chocolate factory in town, and they own a massive warehouse in a rural area on the way to the airport."

"You think that…?"

"It's our best bet!" She pulled out her phone, "Horatio, I think I got a location. Trace from a previous trafficking vehicle came up as cocoa, palm oil and sugar. They're holding them at the chocolate factory warehouse!"

"_Ok Calleigh, Eric and I are heading over there as we speak. You stay put in case there is any other developments! I'm giving you a call once we know more."_

She hung up the phone, close to tears again. Multiple times she had to pull herself together throughout the day while trying to follow any possible lead. Unlike most kidnappings they had been unable to broadcast anything through the media to get the public's help, because that would have caused suspicion, and the kidnappers would most likely have changed their destination, and the girls would have been left forever.

"They're on it," she informed with a grim look on her face.

"I guess they told you to stay here, am I right?"

"Yes, just in case there's anything else."

"Look, Calleigh…it's ok I call you Calleigh, right?" The younger woman nodded. "Horatio is a very capable man, and he'll do everything he can. You know him better than I do, don't you trust him?"

"I do, Stella, but I just feel so guilty… I refused to stay in New Orleans with my baby sister although my whole family begged me to. They warned me that those two wouldn't be able to take care of her, but I just thought of my job…" she broke down.

"Calleigh, it's not your fault."

"I know, but I still feel like I've lead her down. I promised myself that if we find her, I'll never leave her side again."

"Well, if you ever change your mind about New Orleans, we have a brand new crime lab that is in desperate need of some fresh blood." Stella winked and Calleigh smiled.

"I guess so. I'm just not sure if I can leave this lab behind."

"Here, if you do," Stella held out her calling card. "Give me a call."

Calleigh took the card reluctantly, feeling the cardboard between her fingers and eyeing it for a moment before putting it into her back pocket.

"Thanks, Stella." Before Stella could answer, somebody knocked on the glass by the door.

"Agent Berkeley! Any news?" Stella asked as she looked past Calleigh, who spun around at the familiar name.

"Jake?" she asked disbelievingly for the second time in the last 24 hours.

"Hey Calleigh," he greeted her with a smirk.

"Don't tell me that you were their undercover agent?"

"Nope, that's my buddy Rich. He send me here to help with the investigation, and Horatio just called me up, they went to the warehouse, but the girls were gone. They managed to capture one of the traffickers though, so they have the new location. It's out in the Glades." Calleigh looked as if she was about to kiss him.

"Thanks, Jake. I'm going there now," she stated as she hastily secured her gun belt.

"Whoa, Calleigh, wait. Horatio wants you to stay here."

"Come on Berkeley, I say she's coming with us!" Stella protested as she went to get her own gun.

"Alright, Stella. You're the boss. I'll drive," he said as they made their way out.

Sirens were blaring and dogs were barking. Multiple officers were shouting commands and calling the lost girls' names as they ploughed through the empty storage facility and the surrounding area. Except for a couple of old streetlamps by the iron gates, and the flashing lights from the police cars, it was pitch black. Horatio was running next to Eric and Natalia as they skimmed through the high grass.

"Mariebelle!" Horatio called for what felt like the hundredth time.

Suddenly, one of the officers blew his whistle. Horatio and the rest of the search commando were next to him in seconds, and he pointed towards a small hunting shack that was located just outside the broken fence. One of the dogs was barking excitedly next to the officer.

"Mariebelle?" Horatio called out again as he got closer to the house, and he could her a faint answer from the inside. "Did you hear that? Move, everyone!"

They busted open the doors and flooded the small shack. Multiple mattresses were flung on the floor, and a group of girls was tied to the wall with their hands behind their backs. Horatio quickly made his way towards the blonde-haired girl close to him, untied her hands and picked her up to take her outside.

"You're ok now, sweetheart, you're ok." He whispered on his way out as she clung to him and sobbed into his neck.

Minutes later, the paramedics were looking after five frightened girls. Horatio kneeled down next to the small blonde that had been given a blanket to wrap around her shoulders and was sitting on the stretcher beside the road.

"Hey Mariebelle, I'm Horatio Caine."

"Horatio," she said slowly. "My sister's boss."

"Yeah, that's right. Are you alright, sweetheart?"

"I think so."

"Paramedics cleared her, H," Eric confirmed as he hovered protectively next to the girl.

"I see. Your sister is coming to get you, Mariebelle. Your father and brother are here too. You think you could answer some questions when you're ready?"

"Sure. If you stop calling me Mariebelle."

"Why, isn't that your name? It's very beautiful."

"I guess. My Momma gave it to me; she liked unusual names. I'm just not used to being called by my full name."

"What do they call you then?"

The girl was about to answer when the other Hummer arrived at the scene with screeching brakes. The passenger door opened before it came to a full stop, and Calleigh came sprinting towards them, her blond hair flying behind her.

"Ellie!" she called.

"Calleigh!" the girl whimpered and stood before her sister reached her.

Eric watched the two sisters embrace. Ellie's blanket had slipped her shoulders as she was clinging onto her sister's neck, and Calleigh stroked the back of her head while burying her face in her sister's hair; her own was blowing in the wind. She was crying and looking towards the sky while trying to compose herself, planting a kiss on the younger girl's head every so often. She raised her tearful glance and looked at Horatio, barely able to mouth a 'thank you'.

Eric's heart ached for her as he watched the scene in front of him, but suddenly he caught sight of the brown-haired man standing a few feet away, and hot anger boiled up inside his chest. What was _he_ doing here? Instinctively, he stepped closer to Calleigh.

"I'm so glad you're ok," she whispered while Ellie sobbed. "I was so worried. Promise, I'm never going to leave you, ever again."

"But…but Calleigh, I don't want to move from home," Ellie mumbled between her crying.

"You don't have to, sweetheart. Don't worry."

"But Cal…"

"Shhh, I already spoke to the head of the NOLA crime department. I'll come with you as soon as everything's sorted over here. It's gonna be ok."

Eric froze. She did not just say that. He couldn't believe it; she was really going to leave? Maybe she had just said it to calm her sister, and would eventually talk her into moving to Miami. Judging from the police reports in the last twenty years, it was safer to be here, too. Calleigh had been living in Miami for almost fifteen years, and she considered it home, so there was no way she would just pack up and leave. Right?

"Come on Calleigh, I'm gonna take you girls home. Your Dad and Edward are waiting, too," Jake interrupted and Eric clenched his fists. Bastard, couldn't he see they were having a moment?

Calleigh turned towards Horatio. "Is she allowed to go?"

"Yes, she's been cleared, you can go home for now, but she'll have to come in for questioning tomorrow. And do me a favor, Calleigh. Take a few days off to look after her."

"Will do, thanks." They turned and walked back towards the car; Calleigh had her arm slung around Ellie's shoulders and they got into the backseat together.

Eric caught Jake's arm, as he was about to turn around as well. "Take care of her, will you?" he hissed.

"Relax, Delko. She's a big girl; she doesn't need your babying. I know her and I'll be careful, I promise."

He watched as Jake turned the car and drove off through the open gates. Paramedics, officers and dog holders were still buzzing around him, but everything seemed miles away as he stared after the disappearing taillights that seemed become smaller and smaller in the distance.

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><p><strong>Any thoughts? Suggestions? Complaints? Threats? Ok, ok, just joking. I would love to know what you think though. <strong>


	4. No light, No light

**Ok, this one took a little while longer, and it's not beta'd, so I'm really sorry if there's any mistakes or inconsistencies. This story is getting longer and longer, don't know if 5 or 6 chapters will do (certainly not), but I do enjoy it so far. Hope you do too? Just let me know how you feel! I also put in some lyrics, it's "No light, No light" by Florence + The Machine, I'm totally obsessed with that song at the moment, and I thought it fit well. Not really the kind of music I imagine Calleigh to listen to, but that's a creative liberty I allowed myself here. Thank you for all the feedback, it's nice to see that there's people that take their time reading this. Enjoy, and please leave me a note, would be much appreciated!**

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><p>It had never occurred to her how a few individual sounds put together could create a massive, almost unbearable noise. Now, as she was standing motionless in the middle of the buzzing lab, she was sensitive to even the smallest of sounds, and overly aware of everything around her. A lab tech was clicking his pen and the rustling the pages of some paperwork he was going through. A phone was ringing in the DNA lab while the computer's final peeping signaled that it had finished analyzing a sample. Doors were opening, and the hallway echoed with the opening and closing of the doors, and from footsteps approaching from every corner. Quiet whispers and poorly concealed laughs reached her ears as she turned towards the reception desk. Claudia, the receptionist, was talking on the phone and absentmindedly running her perfectly manicured fingernails across her desk; the sound made Calleigh restless. Everything seemed to zoom past her in a blur, and she had to fight the urge to cover her ears and run back outside. She forced herself to snap out of her current dream state and move on with the matter at hand. Horatio was sitting on his desk in the office in the back, and she could see his red hair moving slightly in the light breeze. He seemed to be completely occupied with his work as he was looking down at the papers covering his desk.<p>

Calleigh took a deep breath and made her way over. Her knuckles connected with the cold glass wall, and the soft knock caught his attention. His eyes shot up to meet hers, and they immediately turned soft, just like a devoted father looks at his daughter. She could tell that he already knew why she was here, but it didn't make it any easier. Sighing heavily, she sat down in the chair across from him, just like she had done so many times before. They didn't say anything for a few moments.

"Horatio, I-" she started, not knowing how to begin. He smiled at her again and leaded forward on his desk, giving her an encouraging smile.

"Calleigh, how long have we working together now?" He asked.

"Uh, over fifteen years?"

"You know that you can talk to me about anything."

"I know, but this isn't easy for me."

"I know, sweetheart. And I know what it is you came here to talk to me about. Whichever direction you go, I will support you as much as I can."

"Thank you, Horatio. This means a lot to me."

"Now, have you made a final decision?"

"You know I had to…" Her mind went back to the last time she had been to the lab, almost a week ago. It had been the day after they freed the girls, and she had brought Ellie in for questioning…

_Calleigh was standing in the atrium, waiting for Natalia and Horatio, who would be deducting the interview. The elevator doors finally opened, but instead of the familiar redhead and brunette CSIs, two very familiar characters stepped off the carriage. Calleigh felt white anger rising in her stomach, taking a deep breath as she stood, looking at the two men that were walking towards her. _

"_Calleigh! Lamb chop. Ellie, I'm so glad you're ok!" he father stuttered and tried to act normal, but Calleigh was furious._

_She stepped forward and grabbed two fistfuls of his white dress shirt, her eyes an intense shade of green due to the overflowing emotions. _

"_What are you doing here? Do you know what you have done?" she hissed dangerously._

"_Lamb chop, you know I didn't mean to-"_

"_You never do, Dad. But it still keeps on happening." She furrowed her brows as she detected the alcohol reeking from his breath, and she nearly lost it. "Have you been drinking? Dad, you can't come in here like this!"_

_Edward stepped forward and gently pried her fingers from their father's shirt, whispering calming words in her ears as he slowly tried to steer her away. But he hadn't anticipated her immense strength and will, and he had to fight to get her to step back a little. He grabbed both her shoulders and forced her to look at him, his eyes equaling hers in color. _

"_Cal, listen to me. I've already given him hell, and it doesn't help if you give him anymore. He's already on the floor, do you want to kill him?"_

_She shook her head, trying to regain her senses. What was wrong with her? She usually didn't give in to sudden emotional outbursts like this, especially not with her father. Guilt overwhelmed the anger she had felt just minutes ago, and she glanced at her father apologetically, as she heard footsteps approaching. Horatio and Natalia were walking down the hallway with an unfamiliar woman in tow. The woman immediately started talking once they came to stand across from Calleigh and her family. _

"_Hi, my name is Emma Stevens. I'm with child services."_

"_Child services?" Edward and Calleigh asked at the same time. The whole lab seemed to be watching by now._

"_I'm sorry, Calleigh. We had to inform the authorities of the kidnapping, it's protocol…" Natalia explained._

"_Why don't we go into my office?" Horatio offered and let the way into the room, where everyone was able to take a seat. Natalia had agreed to stay with Ellie and ask her a few questions about the kidnapping, while they talked to the social worker. Calleigh and Edward glanced at each other nervously as Emma Stevens started speaking again. She was short and sturdy, with reddish brown curls and blue eyes. She lightly nodded her head while speaking and her hands moved in synchrony with her words, causing her golden wristbands to clink together._

"_We've started an investigation immediately after we received the news, and I'm sorry to say this, Mr. Duquesne, but with your ongoing alcohol problem and obvious instability in your life, we've come to the conclusion that the current living situation isn't fit for a fifteen year old girl like your daughter." She concluded with an accusing look directed at Calleigh's father._

"_And what does that mean?" Edward glared at her as he asked the question, and Calleigh shot him a warning look._

"_We've arranged for her to go into foster care until she has finished high school." The woman had lost every last bit of friendly demeanor and seemed to be sure about the decision that had been made._

"_I'm sorry, but you can't just take her away like that! What about me, or my grandmother, or my sister? We've not been informed about any of this!" Edward intervened. _

"_Mr. Duquesne, with all due respect… your living situation is far from ideal, and your grandmother isn't able to take care of your sister, since she's barely capable to manage on her own." She answered and intertwined her fingers on the table in front of her. Horatio cleared his throat to get her attention._

"_If I may say something, Miss Stevens. What about Miss Duquesne? She's one of the most stable and reliable people I know, and I am sure she would be more than capable of looking after her sister," He looked at her with his head slightly tilted to the side._

"_I don't doubt your judgment, Lieutenant Caine, but taking in consideration the amount of distress that has been placed on the girl as of late, we found it would be better for her to stay in her current environment. Moving to another city would put her under a lot of stress."_

"_And taking her away from her family doesn't?" Edward asked disbelievingly and Calleigh placed a comforting hand on his arm._

"_What if she wouldn't have to move?" She offered in a small voice, and the room fell dead silent. _

"_Excuse me?" The woman squinted her watery eyes, trying to figure out what the blonde detective tried to say._

"_What if I moved to New Orleans to be with my sister. Would she be able to stay with us then?" she answered weakly._

"_Calleigh!" Edward was shocked and looked at her in disbelief, but she just slightly squeezed his arm. He kept quiet._

"_Miss Duquesne, what about your career? From what I've been hearing about you, it's your main focus in life. I'm not sure if making such a big sacrifice would be helpful here," Miss Stevens answered a little uneasy. _

"_Lady, this is our sister we're talking about!" Edward burst out._

"_Please, Edward. It's not helping," Calleigh hissed so that only he could hear, before turning back to the social worker with a fake smile on her face. "Miss Stevens, I can assure you that I'm not as career hungry as you may think."_

"_I'm sorry, Miss Duquesne, I didn't mean to offend you."_

"_Don't worry, I know you're just doing your job," She lied. That woman was getting on her nerves. Deep breaths, she told herself._

"_Well, we would take that into consideration. But that would be the only possible option."_

_Everyone in the lab was watching through the transparent walls, and she could feel her friends' eyes on her a few minutes later, as she proceeded to sign her name on the official documents. Legal guardian. She swallowed hard. Somehow, it felt like she'd just gained a new life, but had lost her own in the process._

Calleigh snapped back into reality, and she could feel Horatio's eyes on her face as she looked up to meet his glance. They withheld a strong mixture of emotion: admiration, compassion, and worry. She gave him a reassuring smile and nodded her head, so he smiled in return and got up to give her a hug.

"Let me drive you to the airport," he offered as he squeezed her tight.

"Horatio, I'm going to take a cab, don't worry…"

"I insist!"

Calleigh pulled away and smiled, knowing very well that there was no way to change his mind. Gently squeezing his hand as a thank you, she made her way out the door and proceeded to her lab. She didn't meet anyone on her way out, and she was glad that she didn't have to explain herself yet. That could wait a few more days.

Her last day came too soon. At the end of her shift, she cleaned up the evidence and grabbed the telltale white carton box withholding her personal items. She wondered if Alexx had felt the same when she had left, and she took one last look around before turning off the lights. Many of her coworkers had stopped by during the day to say goodbye, but she still made her way around. She had kept it to herself, since it would be painful no matter what, and she didn't feel like talking about it for days on end. Natalia was trying to hide her tears, and promised to come to the airport with her 'even if the whole city turns on each other'; even Walter was wiping his eyes as they hugged goodbye, and he easily lifted her off the ground. She turned around one more time as she got to the elevators, and regretted that she wasn't able to wipe the tears off her face. As the doors closed in front of her and she lost sight of the lab, all she could think of was Eric and Ryan, who had been on a call-out in the Glades all day. He was going to kill her.

Eric was driving back from dropping off the evidence at the lab. They had spent the day sifting through the canals in the middle of nowhere, and he quickly left the building after taking a shower. Ryan had caught him in the locker room, saying that there was something he should know. He scoffed at the thought of it and gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were turning white. She was leaving, just like that. He needed a distraction, fast. The sun was barely setting as he sped along the deserted I-95 on his way to Elizabeth's house. The streetlights were flashing by as the little needle on his dashboard slowly approached 80mph. He knew that he was speeding, and he shouldn't; but as hot anger circulated through his veins, he somehow lost his ability to think rationally. He took the next exit, and his fingers drummed on the wheel as he waited the light to turn green. Without thinking, he turned the car into the opposite turning lane he was supposed to take and raced down the causeway instead. Bal Harbor 10 miles. She would have to give him some answers. He slammed the car door shut after parking the vehicle outside her apartment complex and ran up the stairs to her door, taking two steps at a time.

Calleigh had been at home for a few hours, packing the last of her things while listening to the radio. The song that had just come on wasn't her usual style, but she liked it nevertheless.

_You are the hole in my head_

_You are the space in my bed_

_You are the silence in between_

_What I thought and what I said_

_You are the nighttime fear_

_You are the morning when it's clear_

_When it's over, you're the start_

_You're my head and you're my heart_

She sealed her very last paper carton with a trip of packing tape that she ripped off with her teeth, and quickly scribbled 'kitchen' on the outside with a fat black marker. Wiping a thin sheen of sweat from her forehead, she straitened up and took a look around. Her apartment seemed so empty, almost bare. The furniture was staying here, since she hadn't been able to sell the place – it meant too much to her, so she had decided to keep it. Maybe, one day, she would be able to let go, but at the moment she wasn't ready. Therefore, she had hired a moving crew that would ship most of her belongings to New Orleans tomorrow, and she was taking a plane in two days. Suddenly she felt dizzy. Everything was happening so fast, and her brain was struggling to keep up with the pace. The impatient ring of her doorbell shook her from her daydream, and she furrowed her brows. Whoever it was, the person didn't take his finger off the button, and the bell rang again and again in a furious tirade.

"Ok, ok, I'm coming!" she shouted angrily and pulled open the door, glaring at the uninvited intruder, only to be met with an equally furious expression.

Eric's dark brown eyes seemed pitch black, his features hard. He had his hands balled into fists, and angrily brushed past her without a word as he went inside. She threw the door shut and turned to follow him just as he whipped around to face her.

_No light, no light_

_In your bright blue eyes_

_I never knew daylight could be so violent_

_A revelation in the light of day_

_You can't choose what stays and what fades away_

_And I'd do anything to make you stay_

_No light, no light_

_Tell me what you want me to say_

"When were you going to tell me?" he demanded, and she was barely aware of how close he was. She could almost feel his hot breath on her skin and she shivered involuntarily. "Were you going to call me from the airport? Or two days after you arrived?"

He was angry, furious. She could tell by the way his eyebrows came so low that they almost touched his eyes, and his lips formed a tight, angry line. His fists were clenched tightly, but his whole body was shaking with emotion. He stood in front of her, his chest was heaving and his nostrils flaring as he looked at her expectantly, and she realized that he was waiting for an answer.

_To the crowd I was crying out and_

_In your place there were a thousand other faces_

_I was disappearing in plain sight_

_Heaven help me, I need to make it right_

"Eric, you know I didn't plan this-" she started, but he cut her off again.

"I know that you didn't, but I thought you'd at least be able to talk to me. I had to find out from Ryan, Calleigh. Freaking Ryan Wolfe!"

"I'm sorry." She murmured and avoided his eyes.

"So where does that leave us? We can't even talk anymore? Does that even classify as being friends anymore?"

"Maybe? Eric, I'm so confused! I'm not sure what I can tell you, or when I'm crossing the line. "

_You want a revelation_

_You want to get "right"_

_But it's a conversation_

_I just can't have tonight_

_You want a revelation_

_Some kind of resolution_

_You want a revelation_

"_You _are confused? Calleigh, you were the one who wanted this whole 'taking a break' thing in the first place!"

"I know! And then there's Elizabeth, I just feel like I should give you space –"

"So you're running away from me? Is that the reason behind all this?"

"You know exactly why I'm doing this!" she all but growled.

"Oh yeah? I don't recall you trying to argue this fact!

"Not everything in life is about you, Eric Delko!" Her eyes glinted dangerously in the dim light as her head whipped around to face him directly. She stepped forward and stood in front of him, raising her hand to push him in the chest with her index finger as she spoke.

_Would you leave me,_

_If I told you what I'd done?_

_And would you leave me_

_If I told you what I'd become?_

_'Cause it's so easy_

_To say it to a crowd_

_But it's so hard, my love_

_To say it to you out loud_

This little contact caused the scales to tip over. Eric wordlessly took hold of her hips and pushed her flush against the apartment door, his lips crushing down on hers. His kiss was rough and angry, conveying all the emotions he hadn't been able to express in his words. Calleigh tried to fight against him and pushed at his chest with both her hands, but gave in after just a few seconds. Having him so close again was intoxicating, and she lost control of all her senses as she kissed him back hungrily. He broke the kiss, only to attack the soft skin on her neck instead. Her eyes fell closed as she ran her hands through the short hair on the back of his head.

"You're a very bad liar," he murmured against her skin; knowing very well that she would be unable to provide him with a coherent reply, and he nibbled on the spot just above her pulse point.

"Eric…" His name rolled off her lips in a whisper, and his heart jumped at the softness of her voice.

His mouth found hers once more, but this time the kiss was slow and gentle. His touch had changed as well, and he held her in his arms as if she was about to break. Her fingers found their way underneath his shirt, brushing across the firm muscles on his stomach, eliciting a soft sound of pleasure from his throat. For a few seconds, her mind had been screaming, telling her that this was wrong and that she should stop, but she was unable to react. She completely lost herself in him, barely aware of her naked skin touching down on the soft material on her sofa, as they had both somehow gotten rid of their shirts in the process. Deep down she knew this was wrong, but she didn't seem to care. All they had was tonight, and tears bricked on the back of her eyes as she kissed him back with new ferocity at this realization. They had to make this one count.

The next morning, she woke from the sun that softly caressed her cheek. She blinked as the light hit her eyes, and she turned carefully to face the other direction without disturbing the sleeping man next to her. The arm that had been lazily draped across her stomach was now resting on her back, and he instinctively pulled her closer as he moved in his sleep. Calleigh smiled softly and took in the innocent look on his face as he dreamed, unable to resist the urge to touch him. Carefully, she extended her hand and ran a finger across his cheekbone. He didn't wake, but his lips curved into a gentle smile. She didn't want this to end, but she knew it had to.

"Eric," she whispered and stroked his cheek again. "We need to get up."

"Why?" he protested sleepily and pulled her closer still, causing her to giggle.

"Eric!" she said warningly, but he just grinned mischievously and didn't respond.

"Come on, the packing crew will be here in a second…" she protested weakly as he kissed the skin just behind her ear.

He stopped dead in his tracks and sat up rather abruptly, facing away from her. She looked at him, confusion about his sudden change in demeanor clearly evident on her face.

"What's wrong?" she asked softly.

"You're still going?" he asked in return, and his voice sounded broken. "So this didn't mean anything to you?"

She smiled and scooted closer again, wrapping her arms around him from behind and resting her head against his bare back. "This means everything to me, Eric. But you know that I have to go; this isn't about me."

"I know, but you don't always have to be the hero, you're just hurting yourself-"

"Tell me that you wouldn't do the same if this was one of your sisters, or one of your nieces."

"Yeah, I guess you're right, but still…"

She sighed. This was far from easy. Since the day she had read his file, she knew that any relationship with Eric would mean forever. This wasn't a game, a little fling, or a high school crush. Back then, she had felt ready, but today she knew better. She wanted the same things he wanted, but she still had a few things to figure out, and she didn't want to take the risk that they would fall apart again – she wouldn't be able to cope.

"Eric, I know what you want me to say. And I wish I could; I want to. But that wouldn't be fair to both of us. I have to go, and a long distance relationship… I just can't do that."

"You mean you don't care enough to try?" He sounded hurt, and she reached out to him again.

"No, I just mean that I can't live like that. Eric, if I say yes to you, I want it to be forever. And I can't do that just yet."

He nodded; her words were finally sinking in. She hadn't said yes, but it wasn't a definite no. He pulled her close again, relishing the last few moments they had together. Eric stayed for another hour. They took a shower, got dressed and had coffee in the sunny kitchen, taking their time. Before he left, he pulled her close once more and connected his lips with hers, putting all his feelings into this one last kiss. She responded with equal desperation, trying to tell him that this wasn't goodbye. He pulled away to stroke her cheek, and left without another word. It was time to face reality, and he thought about what to say to Elizabeth. Calleigh closed the door and fell back against it. Saying goodbye had never been one of her virtues, and this one wouldn't be the last of the day. Eying the white rose lying on top of the small side table by the door, she knew exactly where to begin.

An hour later she found herself walking between neatly placed gravestones as she crossed the well-tended lawn that was spanning the voids in between. Birds were singing in the background, but everything else seemed to be completely quiet in the warm early morning sun. The peace and quiet enabled her mind to journey back to the one fateful day, when this place had been filled with many people in uniforms, white flowers, salutes, and tears. It had been years, but somehow it seemed like the pain hadn't become any less, although she had learned to live with it. She reached his grave, laid down the flower and lovingly brushed her fingers over the silver lettering adorning the marble plate as she squatted down in front of it. Suddenly, she felt the urge to explain.

"Hey, Tim. I'm sorry; I know that it's been a while. If you were here now, I know that you'd disapprove of what I'm doing. You'd probably call me pretty stupid." She let out a small laugh, "But I know that I'd have your support all the way, no matter what. I just wanted to say goodbye one more time, since I don't know when I'll be able to come again."

Rising from her squatting position, she quickly wiped away the tear that had escaped her eye, and took a look around. It was so peaceful, almost like there was no evil in this world. The irony of that thought made her smile, considering her occupation, and purpose of this whole place. Still, it was beautiful. The day was mild, and the sunlight penetrating the trees painted beautiful patterns of light on the lawn. She knew that she had to move on and get going, but her legs seemed to be rooted to the ground, and she stayed for another half hour before she finally decided to leave.

"Bye, Tim," she whispered and made her way back to her car.

If it had already been so hard to say goodbye to a person that wasn't even physically present and unable to reply, how bad would it be to say goodbye to everyone else? She shuddered at the thought and quickly closed the car door behind her. Her next stop was Alexx. Calleigh was glad that the doctor was on her day off today, so she wouldn't have to try and catch her in the busy hospital. Alexx opened the door even before Calleigh's finger had touched the doorbell, and the older woman smiled happily, catching the young blonde in a loving hug.

"It's good to see you, Sweetie. How are you?" Alexx enquired as she let Calleigh through the door and into the living room.

"I'm alright, thanks Alexx," she said quickly and plastered a wide smile on her face as she sat down in the seat in the living room.

Alexx held up a plate of cookies that looked suspiciously store-bought, but Calleigh politely nibbled on one of the offered sweets.

"Now, you know, I tried to be a good host and make my own, but I think I killed them. Needless to say, I think I've seen better-looking burn victims in the morgue," Alexx explained, one eyebrow raised and a crooked smile on her face.

"Third degree burns?"

"Cremated."

Calleigh laughed, and felt her muscles relax instantly. She enjoyed her friend's sarcastic sense of humor, and once again she realized how much the former ME was missing in the lab. Alexx had left behind a gaping hole, which nobody had been able to fill. After Speedle's death, Calleigh had concluded that these holes could never be filled; even though Ryan had became a friend she treasured just as much, he was unable to replace Speedle in any way. People were just too different; personalities could never be duplicated.

"Now, Alexx, some people are just better at examining things than creating them," she answered, and Alexx laughed in return.

"Yeah, maybe. If I would conduct an autopsy, then maybe I would find what I did wrong. But anyway, Baby, tell me how your family is doing."

"They're great. Ellie seems excited I'm coming down."

"I bet! And how are you feeling about this? I mean, let me be honest with you Honey, I never expected you to leave this place voluntarily. And to Louisiana of all places!"

Calleigh looked at her feet, unable to form a clear answer. She wasn't sure of how she felt at the moment, but she knew where her responsibilities lay, and it just felt like the only possible solution.

"I don't know. Just feels like the right thing to do."

"But that doesn't sound like you _want_ to do it, Calleigh."

"I don't have a choice, Alexx. At first, I though I'd just go with her for a few weeks to get her settled in with my brother."

"Your brother?"

"Yeah, after what happened with the kidnapping, he realized that he couldn't leave my Dad alone with her. He didn't want me to give up my job, so he moved to New Orleans."

"So? And why didn't he take her then?"

"Child services stepped in as soon as they heard of the kidnapping and threatened to put her into foster care. My brother is unstable; he drinks and sometimes he's involved with the wrong people. They refused to give her to him."

"So what about taking her to Miami?"

"They said it wouldn't be good for her 'psychological wellbeing'," Calleigh said bitterly. "And I get their point. She's been through enough as it is."

Alexx nodded silently, and Calleigh could see the pity and pain so evident on her friend's face. She knew that everyone felt for her, and it pained her to know that she would have to leave them all behind. Alexx was one of her oldest friends, and somehow she felt like she would have to let her know just how much she had been there for her throughout the years. As they said their goodbyes at the door, Calleigh fought hard to keep the tears from falling, but as she saw her own sadness reflected in her friend's teary eyes, she lost the battle.

"Alexx, I just wanted to thank you," she mumbled through her tears as the two women shared a warm hug.

"You don't have to thank me for anything, Sweetie. And don't forget, this isn't goodbye, it's 'see you soon'."

"You're right," Calleigh answered and forced a smile through the fog that was clouding her eyes, making a move to walk away. "See you soon, Alexx!"

"See you soon," she answered with another of her brilliant smiles.

Calleigh was lost in her thoughts as she drove along the pine tree lined street that lead to her next destination. Soon, these wide, open streets would give way to New Orleans' old Southern charm. In a way, she was looking forward to going back, since she had a lot of good memories in that city. But somehow, the weird feeling in her stomach wouldn't cease. It just felt wrong. She stopped the car on the side of the road once she arrived at her destination, and leaned against the door with her back against the glass. In front of her, the star striped banner was softly flapping in the wind, and she waited patiently for the bell to ring. Once the harsh sound was fading, kids poured from the school's interior like water pouring from a broken dam. She spotted him easily in the crowd; she could have recognized these blond curls everywhere.

"Austin!" she called out for him and waved.

The initial confusing on his face gave way to recognition and happiness as he came sprinting towards her.

"Calleigh!" he shouted excitedly and jumped into her waiting arms.

She was a little shocked by his overjoyed reaction, but she soon closed her arms around him and held him tight.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Well, I came here to see you, and give you a ride home. I already called Miss Ginny."

"I thought you were picking us up for ice cream on Friday?"

She swallowed hard. Yes, this was going to be heartbreaking. Ever since they had come into her life, Calleigh had made a point to spend an afternoon a week with the pair, since she still felt guilty for not being able to take them in. It was eating away at her, but at least she had been able to dedicate some of her time to them. Now, everything would change, and she hadn't had the heart to tell him over the phone.

"Well, Austin, that is why I came to talk to you." She explained as they got settled in the car. "You remember I told you about my little sister Ellie?"

"Yeah, the blonde girl that likes to sing so much!" He smiled his brilliant smile that tugged at her heart.

"Exactly. Well, Ellie is all-alone in New Orleans, and she really needs my help. She is my little sister, so I have to go and make sure she's ok."

"You're going to New Orleans again? When are you coming back?" he asked, and panic appeared in his eyes.

"Sweetie, I don't know. That's why I came to tell you that I can't take you and your sister out anymore." She looked into his eyes and somehow tried to make him understand that this didn't have anything to do with him.

"Can't we come with you?" Tears were streaming down his face and she reached over to wrap her arms around him, her own heart breaking into a thousand pieces.

"Oh, Austin…" she started, fighting back the tears. "You know how I would love to have you both come with me. But I am still going to be working a lot, and I couldn't leave you alone all the time. It's not fair to you or Peggy. Plus, Ginny and Robert love you very much. They would be sad to see you leave."

"I don think so," he mumbled and looked at his feet.

"Why? What's wrong?" Concerned green eyes met sad, big blue ones.

"Nothing… they're nice… _but they're not you_."

"Oh Austin…"

She didn't know what to say, and she could feel hot tears running down her cheeks. She tried to pull herself together and wiped away the tears. The little boy told her about his day as they drove along, and she listened carefully. Once they arrived at his foster home, and she reached over to take his hand in hers and searched for his eyes.

"Austin, listen to me. I won't abandon you. I promise. No matter how far away I am, you can always call me, ok?"

He nodded and wiped away a view tears. She got out of the car, walked around to the passenger side and pulled him from the car into her arms. He clung to her, and she soothingly stroked his back. What these kids needed most was stability, and she felt helpless because she wasn't able to give it to them. She went inside with him and spent the rest of the afternoon with him and his sister. The little girl didn't really understand what was happening, but when she saw her brother cry once Calleigh started to leave, she started sobbing uncontrollably and clung to the blonde for dear life. It took her a long while to be able to detangle herself from the small hands that held on to her hair and neck, and the tears just wouldn't stop falling. It broke her heart. Calleigh cried a few tears of her own in the sanctuary of her car, and once she was finally able to turn the key in the ignition, over ten minutes had passed. She wiped the tears with the back of her hand. The decision was made; she had to deal with it. End of story.

A quick look at her wristwatch confirmed that it was time to head to the airport soon, and she made her way up to the apartment for the very last time. Inside, she plopped down on her living room couch and let her eyes wonder around the room. Fifteen years. Fifteen years she had lived in here, and she still remembered the day she had painted these walls. Edward and her Dad had come down to help her, and Edward was teasing her about the choice of color, since it was the same warm beige tone that their mother favored. As Calleigh had started packing up, she had been surprised how many things had accumulated in her small apartment over the years; things that she couldn't imagine living without. Mostly, those were small things; such as little post-it notes from her colleagues, a vase, her favorite mug, a couple of cushions, or the picture frame Speed had given her on the day she had been promoted to second in command. It held a picture of Calleigh, Eric and himself, all smiling happily. The infamous trio. She still remembered his words as he handed her the present: '_Since you're above us now, so you won't forget how it used to be_'. How right he was now.

A knock on the door shook her from her daydreams, and she pushed herself up from her seat to answer the door. A quick look through the peephole confirmed that Horatio was in front of the door, and the small glass magnified the sunglasses on his nose. She chuckled to herself as she opened the door, and he greeted her with his famous half-smile as he took off his glasses.

"Good evening ma'am, your airport shuttle is waiting for you," he joked with a completely straight face, and she laughed.

"I'll be right out." She said and reached her for her things.

"Let me help you with that." Horatio grabbed the larger of the two suitcases and pulled it towards the elevators.

Natalia was outside, leaning against the back of the car with her arms crossed in front of her chest and her eyes hidden behind her tinted glasses. She smiled as she saw them approaching the car, and the smile turned into a smirk as she took in the amount of luggage Calleigh was carrying.

"I remember you saying once that you weren't the lightest packer," she teased and Calleigh smiled.

"Hey, I am moving after all!"

"Yeah, but didn't you sent off a whole truck load of stuff this morning?"

"Come on, Natalia, it wasn't a whole _truck_ full of things…"

"Whatever," the brunette responded teasingly and opened the passenger door.

Calleigh watched the familiar surroundings zoom past as they made their way to the airport. The sun was already beginning to set as they crossed the water on the causeway, and she got one last look at the city. The sky mirrored on the water's surface, turning it a warm, orangey red. It was beautiful. Somehow, she couldn't comprehend yet that she was leaving; it still felt like she was just going on vacation. Horatio and Natalia went with her as far as they were allowed to go, and they finally had to say their goodbyes in front of the security checks. A lump formed in Calleigh's throat as she turned towards her friends, and she didn't know what to say. Horatio hugged her first, and she returned his hug with an equally firm grip.

"Thanks, for everything." It was all she could say through the tears that were falling, and her eyes were desperately searching for something to focus on as the looked over his shoulder.

She wasn't good with letting out her own feelings; she hardly ever did when she was alone, and never in front of others. They only came out when they were just too overwhelming, and she wasn't strong enough to fight them off. She felt small and oh so vulnerable.

"I thank you. You know I'm always here, if you need anything. Take care of yourself." Horatio's voice was calm, and it soothed the panic that seemed to crush her chest.

Natalia stepped close as soon as Horatio had released the petite blonde from his grip, and the women connected in a tight embrace.

"Be strong, Honey. Call me anytime you want, I'm always here for you." Calleigh nodded at her friends' words, unable to form a coherent reply as she pressed a hand to her mouth to keep the sobs from coming.

She finally found her voice and pulled away slightly, holding Natalia at an arm's length from her body. "Same goes for you."

They shared another teary glance, before Calleigh let go of her arms and turned towards the gates. She was only carrying a small bag slung over her shoulder, but it suddenly felt as if it was pulling her down. It took her a moment to regain the power over her own body; and as she made the first few steps forward, it felt like her legs were made from stone, and she was just learning how to walk. She passed through the gates in a haze, barely registering when the guard told her to go ahead. Before she turned down the long corridor leading towards the departure gates, she turned around once more and waved to the two lonely people standing by the glass walls next to the gates. This was excruciating.

Damn Miami International for it's love of glass. She sighed deeply and turned around, walking on with a surer stride. There was no way back now, and she responded in the only way she knew how: go forward.

* * *

><p><strong>There we go. Yup, I made her leave. I'm curious to find out what my mind comes up with next? <strong>


	5. NOLA Nonstop

**Hey guys! I'm in finals at the moment, but somehow my brain wouldn't give me a rest until this was typed, so in order to be able to actually get some work done...this had to be out. I hope you enjoy, and as always let me know what you think. Thank you again for all the feedback, it's highly appreciated, even if it's just one word! Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Abigail wrapped her arms around her upper torso in an attempt to keep her body warm. Tonight was chilly for a Miami summer night, and a storm was brewing in the distance. It was a regular Wednesday night, and Abby was sure it would be slow as always. Weeknights were family nights, and not many customers were looking for a release or some additional fun apart from their regular family routine. She wasn't the only girl standing out here on 'the strip', but nobody seemed busy today. It was completely dead. Suddenly, she spotted a familiar black Escalade coming down the street. It stopped in front of her and she stepped closer obediently as the tinted window was rolled down slowly.<p>

"What's up, Don? I already paid my dues this week!" she argued defensively.

"Hey, don't get rough with me baby, I was just checking up on you. Doesn't look like you have a lot to do; let's go for a ride!"

She knew better than to argue with her employer as she climbed in through the opened back door. It was dark inside and she squinted to make out his features in the darkness. He was smoking a cigar, most likely Cuban, and blew smoke into her face. She averted her face to try and avoid the smoke.

"What's wrong baby, you scared?" He sounded friendly, but she could hear his anger shining through, and her heart started to beat even faster as he started to speak again. "Looks like there's something wrong with you for a while. You're not making as much as you used to. Tell me, why is that?"

"I…I'm sorry, I don't know."

"You don't know? What does that mean, _you don't know_. Huh?" He bent towards her, cornering her, and all friendliness was gone from his voice. It was harsh and threatening, and she could feel herself shrinking further into the seat. His left hand gripped her arm and twisted it; a searing pain shot up her shoulder. She screamed.

"First Elizabeth just bails out on me, and now you! You guys think I'm Mother Theresa or what? I'm paying for your house, your bills, and your clothes! Is this how you thank me?" She winced as he tightened his grip. "I know what you need. A change of scenery, some new friends."

"Wha…what?" she stammered.

"You're gonna take a trip with me. You'll like it, you see. New Orleans is a pretty town. Good business."

"But I don't wanna go, Don. You can't just make me leave! You don't own me."

"Baby, I've owned you since day one. Did you think I'm doing this out of my good heart? You're doing what I say, I'll make sure of that!" She could feel his breath on her skin as he pulled her close to his face to hiss the words.

Out of desperation, she struggled against him and spit in his face, thrashing violently and screaming from the top of her lungs. He had her pinned beneath him in an instant, and his fist connected with her delicate jaw line. A throbbing pain remained after his initial strike, and she sank back in her seat with a quiet whimper.

"That'll teach you to behave, bitch!" he spit and turned away from her.

Abby sat in her seat, crying quiet tears of defeat. There was only one thing she could do, and she carefully reached for her pocket, pulling out her tiny silver phone. With trembling fingers she typed a single message, praying to God he wouldn't notice before she sent it:

_Don. New Orleans. Help!_

"You're my last hope, Lizzy," she whispered quietly and kissed the phone, grateful that the man next to her was busy groping the young girl next to him.

Elizabeth groggily reached for her phone in the darkness. The man next to her made a disapproving sound; he was awake as well. She reached over and caressed his shoulder apologetically.

"Sorry Babe, must be one of the girls. I'll just turn it off." Her voice was low, and he smiled in the darkness as he squeezed her hand in return.

She proceeded to turn off the phone, but suddenly felt obliged to check the message. Since she was awake anyway, it wouldn't do any harm in checking. Her friends knew that she needed her sleep, now that she was in college, and they usually didn't contact her at night unless it was necessary. Her hand flew to her mouth as she skimmed over the words on her screen again and again. There was no denying it, no matter which way she turned it; the bold, red letters were flashing brightly on the dark background. She quickly dialed the number, but the phone was disconnected. She panicked.

"Eric, Eric, wake up!" Pure panic and desperation were coating her voice, and she didn't have to call him twice before he jumped up, gripped both her shoulders.

"Liz, what's wrong?" He swiftly turned on the lights so he could see her, and his worried eyes met hers. She was crying, and her face was twisted in pain; her hand gripped the phone, and she was unable to say anything.

"Baby, are you ok? Are you hurting?" He ran his hands over her body, trying to determine what was going on, as she finally found her voice again.

"Eric, we need to go to the police. They took Abby! We need to help her, she's like a sister to me." She sounded desperate, and her voice was trained with pain and tears.

"Ok, calm down. Who's Abby, and who took her? How do you know?" He ran his hands soothingly up and down her bare arms, and she closed her eyes for a second.

"She's one of my friends…from _work_. She told me about the other girls that were disappearing, but we weren't sure where they went. Girls like us come and go, so we were never really that concerned, you know?"

"Ok, wait a second. You know who took them?"

"Our… employer, Don, sometimes told us that whenever a girl disappeared, that 'he'd gotten her a better job in another town'. I always thought they went willingly, and nobody ever dared to ask. Please, we need to find Abby. I'm all she has, she was trying to quit as well, and I was going to help her find a job. Maybe that's why they moved her" She broke out in tears again, and her body shook with violent sobs. "It's all my fault!"

"Shhh, Baby, we'll do everything we can. I promise." He cradled her in his arms as she cried, and his shirt soaked up the tears that were streaming down her face.

He didn't have the heart to tell her that it would probably be very difficult to get official involvement, since authorities never cared much for missing prostitutes, but he was sure that there was one person he could always count on: Horatio Caine.

They met in front of the crime lab as the sky was barely lightening at the edges, and the PD parking lot seemed deserted except for the two cars parked side by side. Horatio got out of his car, folding his sunglasses and hooking them on his open collar. Eric and Elizabeth approached him quickly and he turned towards them with a questioning look on his face.

"Thanks for coming, H," Eric said as soon as they came to stand in front of him.

"Of course. Let's go inside and take and take an official statement."

"A statement?" Elizabeth asked, and her voice turned desperate. "Aren't we going to search for her? She might still be out there, we're losing valuable time if we're just staying here!"

Horatio turned towards her as Eric wrapped his arm around her waist to calm her a little. "Miss Clarke, I'm sorry, but we'll have to do it the official way. She's been missing less than 24 hours, so it's unlikely the police will take any action yet. I'll promise you though that as soon as we have taken your statement, Eric and I will be looking into it."

"Really?"

"I promise, Babe," Eric whispered quietly as he stroked her hair.

They quickly filed an official missing persons report, and Elizabeth tried her best to describe her friend, and their employer. A call to the FBI quickly confirmed that they had been monitoring Don's activities closely as well, but they hadn't been close to nailing him.

"Maybe she still has her phone, since she was able to text you. Let's try and locate her phone through GPS," Eric proposed.

"I doubt he'll let her keep the phone, let alone keep it on," Horatio argued.

"It was off when I tried to call her once I got the message," Elizabeth informed them and Eric nodded.

"That's it, then." He sounded defeated.

"Would it be possible to bring some of her belongings, clothes, bedding, anything she's touched. We also need any contacts; family, friends, relatives. Anything you know. Eric will help you with that, I'm sure." Horatio's sympathetic eyes met hers and she smiled at him, grateful that someone cared.

"What are you going to do in the meantime?" Eric enquired.

"Getting as much information on our suspects as possible."

"Which means?"

"Well, the Feds aren't much of a use, so I'm calling our friends in New Orleans. Let's see if the capable ladies over there can help us out." He winked at Eric and the young CSI smiled in return, before steering his girlfriend out the door.

* * *

><p>"Are you ever going to leave today?"<p>

Calleigh chuckled as she turned around in her chair to face to her colleague. The thick, Venezuelan accent had given her away instantly, and she didn't even have to look to know who it was. Cristina Perez had been with the NOPD for three years now, and she was a lateral just like Calleigh had been, so the two had become good friends almost instantly when they met six months ago. Right now, the tall Venezuelan was standing in front of the petite Southern woman with her hands on her hips and an accusing look on her face. Her right eyebrow was raised questioningly and a soft frown graced her long lips, before she pulled them up into a smile.

"Calleigh, Chicka, you need to go home. Have you slept at all?"

"I will as soon as I'm done with this, Cristina." She had turned back to her microscope with a knowing smile on her face, and she could picture the fiery Southern American standing behind her, rolling her eyes and mumbling something in Spanish about her being 'ridiculous and obsessed with work'. And Cristina knew very well that Calleigh was fluent in Spanish.

"Dios, Calleigh, one day you'll drop dead in here. You need a life; you need a man!"

"I don't need a man, I have enough problems as it is."

"Oh come on, don't you miss being with someone? Falling asleep in a man's strong arms after making love all night, waking up in the morning with the most wonderful feeling of utter contentment rising from your stomach-"

"Ok, I do get the point. But I'm not as man-crazy as you are."

"Me? Man-crazy?" She sighed in frustration, "I am completely normal! You on the other hand…"

"Cristina, I'm _fine_. Seriously."

"Ok, ok, Chicka. I'm just worried about you. Everyone needs someone special in their life."

"Whatever you say, my friend." Calleigh tried to ignore the huffing sound coming from behind her back, and smiled to herself. Cristina was an overly dramatic person by nature, and Calleigh's seemingly cool demeanor was getting to her.

"There's more to this than what you're telling me; I know you, Calleigh Duquesne. Just one word: Eric."

Calleigh's cheeks turned a soft pink as she turned around once again, and her deep green eyes met her friend's sparkling brown orbs. Cristina was smiling widely at this visual confirmation on her colleague's cheeks, and she looked at her expectantly.

"Alright, fine!" Calleigh admitted, knowing that she wouldn't stand a chance against Cristina's prying nature. "Yes, I do think about him. He's very important to me. But you know it's more complicated than that."

"You need to do something about it, Darling. I can see that it's eating away at you, so you can't just leave it like this."

The blonde sighed in defeat. Trying to argue was useless, and she knew Cristina would find a suitable answer for every argument she threw her way. Sometimes she wished the world would be as easy as Cristina Perez pictured it to be, where everything seemed simple and logical. Calleigh loved logic; logic was good. It explained everything, and it made sense. There was only right or wrong; black and white, and no foggy gray.

"I…I just don't know what to say, or think."

"It's ok, Honey. Do you guys still talk?"

"Yeah. Actually, we speak almost every day…"

Calleigh remembered the very first night she had spend in New Orleans, and the conversation she had had with him that day…

_It had gotten very late, and once she finally able to put her head on the pillow, she was no longer able to push away the thoughts that went through her head; immediately, they were back in Miami, and she reached for her cell phone without thinking. Thunder was roaring outside, and dangerous clouds had been zooming past all day, just waiting to empty their contents on the heated pavement below. Before she realized what she was doing, she had dialed Eric's number. Her immediate reaction was to hang up as she looked at the time: 2am. She was about to turn it off when she heard him pick up the phone. His voice sounded groggy and heavy with sleep; he had most likely been in bed already._

"_Hello?" he mumbled._

"_Eric…" was all she could get out, implying so much more with her silence._

"_Calleigh!" his voice sounded less tired and more alert, almost worried. "What's going on?"_

"_I don't know," she answered truthfully, thinking for a second. "I guess I just needed to hear your voice."_

_She heard a soft chuckle on the other end, and was imagining the corners of his mouth turning upwards and his eyes glinting in amusement. "Scared that I'll disappear into thin air?"_

"_That you'd run out on me? Yeah, maybe, kind of."_

"_Come on, Cal. It's 2 in the morning," he said amusedly, but suddenly his voice became more serious again as he focused back on reality. "How's Louisiana?"_

"_I can't sleep. The heat and humidity are killing me."_

"_We have humidity in Miami!" he countered._

"_Yeah, but not like that. It's like a sauna down here."_

"_Don't you have air conditioning?"_

"_No, it's broken and we live on the top floor, so…"_

"_Alright, alright, I get your point. You're all hot and sweaty and you can't sleep." _

"_Why does that sound so dirty when it comes from your mouth?" she joked, happy to be able to converse in such an unconventional manner without any strings attached._

"_It's just your interpretation, not mine. But on a more serious note, I want to know how you're doing over there." She sighed._

"_Well, I'm happy to be with my family, it's been a while since we spend some time together without any major tragedy forcing us to be in the same place."_

"_I see. And your flight was ok? What about the house?"_

"_The flight was ok, although you know that I prefer solid ground under my feet. Edward picked me up and we all had dinner together when Ellie came home. Oh, and my Dad bought me a car," she added with a slight hint of discontentment in her voice._

"_Wow, how generous of him. Tell me, just why do I have a hunch that you don't approve?"_

"_Because I don't, and you know me. I hate when he does that." He chuckled again._

"_How are you feeling?" He asked finally, and she sighed; she'd been dreading this question._

"_I don't really know, to be honest. 'Homesick' describes it best, I think. Everything seems so… different."_

"_Yeah, it's different in the lab now that you're not here. Your replacement, he's alright; but it still feels wrong when I see him in your office. Kinda like when Ryan was doing Speed's job." _

"_You're not giving him hell like you did with Ryan, though, right?"_

"_Wouldn't dream of it; I promised." He was silent for a few seconds, and she could hear him swallowing before he continued in a soft voice. "I miss you."_

_All she wanted to tell him was 'Eric, I miss you, too. This is ridiculous!' But she couldn't. Not today, and not like this._

"_Eric, I'm sorry, I can't-"_

"_I know, Querida, I understand." She sighed. Her intimate nickname never failed to touch her inner core._

"_I'm sorry," she whispered._

_He was about to say something else, when she heard a muffled noise in the background, and the faint sound of a female voice reached her ear: "Eric? It's the middle of the night, Babe. Come back to bed!"_

"_Sorry to keep you awake, Eric. You, uh, have a good night," Calleigh said quickly._

"_Thanks, you too," he mumbled, suddenly too embarrassed to say anything more. _

_She lay staring at the phone long after they had hung up. The voice must have been Elizabeth, and Calleigh couldn't fathom the thought of another woman snuggled up in his arms, and him kissing her tenderly, just like he had kissed her every night they had been together. The harsh sound of thunder rippling through the night reached her ear again, suddenly muffled by the drumming of the raindrops against her windowpane. The wind was howling outside and she could see heavy sheets of rain in the faint light coming from the single street lamp in front of their house. All in all, it seemed like the world was about to end, and it fit her mood. Suddenly, she heard a soft knock at the door, and she could faintly make out her sister's features in the dark._

"_Calleigh? Are you awake?" Ellie whispered into the darkness._

"_What's wrong, sweetheart?"_

"_Nothing, it's just… I can't sleep, I don't like thunderstorms much," the girl said slowly._

_Calleigh realized that most likely nobody had taken the time to properly spend time with the girl since her mother had died, and her heart ached for her little sister. Silently, she scooted over in the bed to make room, and told her sister to lie down beside her. Once Calleigh felt the mattress dip slightly, she reached out and pulled her towards her. The air seemed to cool down slightly, but it was still hot and muggy, but they didn't care. Ellie held on to her sister tightly. For the first time in days, both sisters were able to sleep through the night. _

Cristina's hand squeezed her shoulder and brought her back into reality. Calleigh smiled at her friend and adverted her eyes. The other woman smiled, raising her perfectly manicured eyebrows and swiftly throwing her thick, dark her over her shoulders.

"You don't need to tell me, you should have seen your face. His name is written all over. Is that him?" Calleigh's eyes followed her friend's outstretched finger, and fell upon the picture she kept propped up on her desk.

There were three smiling faces in that frame; two dark haired men with equally happy faces surrounded the petite blonde in the middle, who had a matching smile on her face. Every time she looked at it, she remembered the happy times they had shared, and she smiled.

"Yeah." She mouthed.

"The one on the right, no?"

"How'd you know?"

"Darling, you said he's a Latino. The other one's kinda cute, but he's definitely no Latino." Cristina smirked. "I knew you had taste, Chicka."

"Why, thank you!" The sarcasm was clearly evident in Calleigh's voice, and Cristina started making her way out of the office, but not before turning around and winking at her friend once more.

Calleigh knew Cristina had been right; she needed to go home and rest. Ever since her first day at the PD, she had been working herself like there was no tomorrow. It was different here, but she loved it nevertheless. Her colleagues were enthusiastic and had a great sense of humor. There wasn't any animosity between the CSI and the lab techs, and she was getting along with virtually everyone. Whenever she was out in the field, she trusted her partners to have her back.

After she had stored away her equipment and hung up her lab coat beside the door, she made her way towards the locker rooms. The lab was located on the twelfth floor, and the building's outer walls were completely made of glass. The sun was slowly creeping above the horizon, and the skyline was glowing a vibrant pink and pastel purple as the early morning light was reflected on the skyscrapers' windows. She smiled as she tore her eyes away, listening to her echoing footsteps on the empty hallway floor. The Dayshift hadn't started yet, and most of the offices close to the edge were empty. Just as she reached the elevator and proceeded to press the button, the doors opened and revealed two of her fellow colleagues.

"Hey Bullet, finally hanging up the coat?" She smiled at her friend's friendly teasing, and tilted her head as she looked at him.

Daniel Matthews was a freightingly large, black man in his late fifties. Sometimes, suspects confessed the minute he came through the door; at the very last they succumbed to his fiercely dangerous stare when it was directed at them. Little Adam on the other hand, seemed the complete opposite. He was standing as far as possible from his current partner in the elevator. Adam Samuels was the newest addition to the team, and still learning. Most of the time he behaved like a clumsy puppy, but he would learn in time. Though his name was Adam, everyone just called him 'Sam', arguing that 'Adam was too strong for his delicate nature.'

"Hey Dan, Sam. I was just on my way out, I've pulled a double today. Where are you guys coming from?" Her eyes travelled to the thick folder he was holding in his hands.

"Well, actually, Stella called us in. Sammy here has some very interesting news which you might want to see, too."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," Sam quipped, nervously meeting her eyes. "It's from the MDPD, CSI Duquesne."

"Sam, how many times have I told you to call me Calleigh?"

A few minutes later, everyone had taken a seat in Stella's roomy office. Since it was located at one of the corners, it had an almost 360 degree view of the city. Stella was sitting behind her desk, deeply concentrated on the document lying in front of her. She finally raised her eyes from the papers and met Calleigh's enquiring stare. Stella's curls were pulled back in a strict ponytail, and her stare seemed fierce and focused as she directed it at her youngest CSI.

"Sam, why don't you tell us what you found?" Sam swallowed nervously before raising his voice.

"I, uh, sure! Well, I was looking through all the evidence we've gotten the last days, and I went to the A/V lab to make a call to a neighboring county PD to request some additional information on a particular case, and the guy on the other end was taking his sweet time, so I had to stay in the lab for a while, which is why I caught the phone call in the first place-"

"Ok kiddo, skip the foreplay, what did you find?" Daniel growled and Calleigh reached for his arm. Sam jumped in his seat and sat up straight, nervously fingering his cuff links.

"Oh, ok. Well, uh, it was Lieutenant Caine from the MDPD. It's about a kidnapping case, which is apparently linked to New Orleans."

"Why didn't you put him through to me?" Stella asked, taken aback.

"You weren't here yet, Ma'am."

"And you didn't think it'd be important to inform me straight away? Sam!"

"Hey, he came to me straight away, Stella. The boy didn't mean any harm. And we're talkin' now, so relax," Dan cut in and Stella pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to reign in her temper.

"Fine, tell me what you know."

"Let me take this, Sam." Dan looked at his younger colleague and took over. "The victim is Abigail Gilmore, 26 years of age, Caucasian female, blond hair, brown eyes. She worked as a prostitute in downtown Miami, and has been reported missing by her friend and former colleague, who received a message from her at 4am this morning."

"So she's not been missing for more than 3 hours! I don't see why this is our problem?"

"Well, as far as the message is concerned, they're heading for New Orleans. We already have some information on the suspect. He's in the pleasure business, and he owns multiple bars and clubs in different cities, but it's just an official cover up for his criminal activities. Human trafficking, solicitation, drugs and illegal weapon distribution to name a few."

"And he's active here in New Orleans?"

"He's no nobody, yes, although he's not around that much. And there's more."

"Yes?"

"The Feds suspect that he is behind the trafficking ring that kidnapped Miss Duquesne's sister six months ago."

"What?" Calleigh quipped up.

"Ok, let me get in contact with Horatio, and we'll talk about the next actions."

"Uh, well, Stella?" Sam cut in again, and continued to speak after she urged him to go on. "Uh, you probably won't be able to reach Horatio, they're already on their way to the airport, and they'll be here by noon."

Calleigh arrived home a mere forty minutes later. The short ride from the office to her home barely took longer than fifteen minutes, but it had taken a lot of convincing from her colleagues to get her to leave. Stella had finally given her strict orders to rest for a while, and she didn't have a choice but to go. Her sister was at school, so the apartment was beautifully quiet, except for the overly excited yellow lab that ambushed her the second she opened the door a mere half an inch.

"Hey Jazz. I love you too, but get down. Come on, boy." She struggled with the dog for a while before managing to steer him back inside.

Her sister had taken him out before school, so she knew he was fed and walked. She tried her hardest to relax as she sat down on her couch with a mug of steaming tea in her hand, but her muscles didn't seem to comply. A nervous army of butterflies was fluttering around her stomach, and she wondered if Eric would be coming too. She was sure that he'd try everything in his power to come, and he was usually the first person Horatio asked to come along. There was a strong band between the two men, and she knew that this band was stronger than friendship; it was family.

The minutes ticked by, and finally her eyelids became too heavy as her exhausted body succumbed to the much-needed sleep. Her ringing pager woke her mere three hours later. She reached for it blindly and looked at the display, groaning slightly. Perfect, she was on a call-out. It took her a few minutes to get ready before she hurried out the door, and Jazz watched her run down the steps, before he put his head back down on the carpet and fell back asleep.

Before she arrived at the scene, she received a message from dispatch. The officers on scene were ganged up on and cornered, barely able to shield themselves from the heavy gunfire. One officer was down. She stepped down on the gas pedal and made her way through mid-morning traffic with her sirens blaring. The shots were echoing from the surrounding high-rise buildings, and she barely had time to park her vehicle before she was caught in the gunfire. Bullets were raining down in a fiery storm, and she took cover behind her opened car door. Finally, the suspects were out of reloads and took off running. Calleigh and another officer immediately took off in their pursuits.

Her muscles were aching with every step she took, and her lack of sleep was catching up with her, but Calleigh used her last few power resources. Bushes and houses went by in a blur as they ran down between the buildings, jumping over any small obstacle that came their way. They separated to corner the group of running men, and finally caught up with them as the narrow streets opened up to a city square. She got hold of one of the suspects, cuffing him immediately while he swore at her in the most colorful words. He was lying facedown on the pavement and she was holding him down with her whole body weight, trying to regain her breath. There was nothing better than an early shift pursuit halfway across downtown New Orleans.

Meanwhile, Horatio and Eric had boarded a plane, and were on their way. Elizabeth had insisted to come along, and Natalia had offered her help as soon as she heard about it. The four were sitting in their seats, watching the ground from their windows and waiting for the plane to go down further. They were approaching the airport, and everyone was back in their seats. Parts of the swamp came into view, and Eric stared at the sheer size of it.

"Are those the wetlands?" He asked excitedly and Horatio nodded.

"We should be there soon."

Stella was waiting at arrivals, anxiously watching the ever-changing board. The flight had landed over twenty minutes ago, but there was still no sign of the MDPD. Finally, she caught a glimpse of red hair, and she made her way over with a small smile on her face.

"Good to see you again, Horatio," she commented as they hugged briefly.

"Good to see you, too. You remember Detective Delko and Officer Boa Vista?"

"Eric, Natalia, how could I forget."

"And this young lady here," Horatio gestured towards Elizabeth, "is Elizabeth Clarke. She got the message from her friend this morning."

"Alright, well, I think that now that introductions are made, we should make our way to the PD."

"Of course, shall we?"

They followed her out into the parking lot, and it felt like walking into a wall. The humidity was overwhelming, and Eric finally understood what Calleigh had been talking about. He raised a hand to wipe across his forehead to wipe away the sweat that had started forming almost immediately. His eyes were glued to the city's landscape that was zooming by, and he took in the colorful old houses, the massive oak trees lining the small city squares, and the masses of people moving in the streets. Streetcars were crossing their way, along with city tour busses and the occasional horse carriage. If there hadn't been any people on the street, it would have seemed like they had left the modern world and dived back into a past century. He was amazed by his surroundings, and finally understood the Southern charm this city beheld.

They passed through the gates onto the police department grounds, and Horatio admired the glistening glass building that was rising high in the background. It looked like a massive glass box had been dropped onto a period building.

"Looks like a ship in a bottle," Natalia commented.

"Yeah, it was newly renovated before we moved in two years ago. Initially there were only ten floors, but they added another three levels, a foyer and a reception area. It's a great place to work. Reminded me of New York straight away, and made me feel right at home."

Stella parked the car next to the other department vehicles and they got out. Their luggage was still in the trunk, but they would get it to the hotel at night, if they found time to sleep at all. Eric wrapped his left arm around Elizabeth's waist protectively, as they made their way over to the sliding doors.

Calleigh steered the car up the garage. Cristina was sitting in the passenger seat and animatedly talking to her mother in Spanish on the phone. Her words came out at high speed, and Calleigh smirked, too tired to get her brain to understand anything her friend was saying. She shook her head and passed around a row of parked vehicles to get to their parking spot. Calleigh grabbed the box of evidence they had spend two hours on collecting at the scene, while Cristina was still on the phone. It sounded like she never broke the string of words that were leaving her mouth, and Calleigh wondered if she wouldn't run out of oxygen at some point. When they arrived at the doors, however, it was her who ran out of oxygen for a couple of moments, and the world seemed to stand still as she recognized the people standing just in front of her. Stella pulled her back into reality as she turned around to face her colleagues.

"Calleigh, Christina! You guys back on shift already?" Calleigh froze, unable to form any coherent response, so it was Cristina, who answered to their superior after hanging up the phone.

"Yeah, well, we got a call out around eleven. Officer involved shooting. Dan is still on scene, we just collected the evidence and came back in. 54 spend rounds."

"Sounds like a lot of work for you, Calleigh. How many hours of sleep did you get, Hon?" Stella's eyes focused on her ballistics expert, whose eyes were distant, glazed over and outlined by dark circles.

'Like three," she responded, her usual self slowly returning, but her attention was captured by the warm, delicious chocolate brown eyes that were staring at her own green ones ever since they had arrived at the door together.

She couldn't advert her eyes, and it was really hard to concentrate on anything else but those beautiful eyes. Cristina discretely cleared her throat to get her friend's attention, and as she turned around to face her colleague, Calleigh was met by her questioning stare. Her eyebrows were raised high, and she had a knowing smile on her face.

"¡Qué guapo!" she whispered as she leaned close, and Calleigh couldn't hide her smile.

Yes, this was definitely going to be interesting.

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><p><strong>There you have it. I know it's a big jump in time, but it felt like they needed it. Time to cool down and think... well, let me know how you liked it, next chapter is in process!<strong>


	6. Dancing in Circles

**Finally, I was able to write another chapter. Finals, visitors and moving do pose somewhat of a distraction. Today I took a break from unpacking and simply enjoyed my sunny day (Its really warm and sunny in London, this winter is really a weird thing!) while writing this. I hope you enjoy it just as much, and sorry for the wait, I hope this makes up for it!**

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><p>The elevator doors closed behind her, and she released a breath she had been holding ever since they had stepped towards the entrance door on the parking lot. She was leaning against the nearest wall and stared off in space, until Cristina's soft voice interrupted her thoughts.<p>

"You alright, Chiquita?"

Calleigh thought for a minute. Was she? Seeing Eric had taken her off-guard, although she had been somewhat prepared. Maybe, deep down, she had hoped that he'd stay in Miami, while the other part of her had wished he would come. Now, seeing him with his arm around Elizabeth, it left a bitter taste in her mouth, and she could feel bile rising in her throat. The answer was no; she was not ok.

"Give me a few minutes and I will be," she managed with a small smile, opting for honesty this time.

Cristina nodded knowingly and shot her an empathic smile, but knew better than to press the subject. One thing she had learned about the short Southern blonde, was that she would come to her to talk; if she tried to press the matter, Calleigh would just close up even more. With her, patience was a virtue. The elevator doors opened and Calleigh made a beeline for the ballistics lab, not even bothering to stop and drop the rest of the evidence in the evidence room; she trusted Cristina to deal with it for once, and understanding her friend's need for space, the tall Venezuelan accepted the task without her usual complaints.

Calleigh felt like she could breathe again once she entered the lab and found it empty. Her colleagues were out for lunch, and she knew she didn't have much time before Dan would come busting through the doors. The glass wall gave her the visual advantage, so she always knew when someone was approaching. Sitting down on one of the desks to enjoy a few more minutes in silence, she allowed her mind to drift back to what had just happened in the parking lot…

_Calleigh followed Cristina's gaze after her brain had registered the words her colleague had just whispered in her ears. No doubt, she had recognized Eric from the picture in her office, and she must have seen the silent exchange that had happened between them just mere moments ago. Suddenly, Horatio interrupted her thoughts as he stepped forward and wrapped her in a tight hug._

"_It's good to see you, sweetheart," he whispered as he stepped away, and she returned his warm smile, detecting a fatherly twinkle in his eyes._

"_You don't know how happy I am." Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Natalia coming closer._

_Suddenly realizing just how much she had missed her former colleagues and friends, she returned Natalia's warm hug with just as much force, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall. Natalia smiled as she pulled back, and as their eyes met, Calleigh could see that the brunette's eyes were tearing up as well. Realizing what would come next, Calleigh swallowed hard as Natalia stepped away, and she found herself face to face with Eric. Elizabeth was standing behind them, but Calleigh forgot about her the moment his arms encircled her body. Unable to move, she just stayed put, and it felt like eternity before she felt him move again, dropping a kiss on top of her hair before he let go of her. A soft whimper escaped her at the loss of his touch, and she blushed as her whole body was still humming from the contact. Before he pulled away completely, however, he leaned close to whisper in her ear._

"_I've missed you."_

"_I've missed you, too," she mouthed, and his finger gently brushed her cheek before he stepped back._

_They were walking a thin line, and both of them knew that this was forbidden; but somehow, that made it even more appealing. Once their bodies weren't touching anymore, Calleigh's brain finally seemed to function properly again, and she won the upper hand over her emotions. Lips pressed together in a thin line, she quickly excused herself and pulled Cristina towards the elevators._

She sighed, getting up from her current position behind the desk. There was no use in getting lost in her thoughts. Deciding to get on with work instead, she started unpacking the rounds they had collected on scene. Another sigh escaped her mouth as she surveyed the 54 rounds that lay scattered across the table, and she buried her face in her hands. The lack of sleep was catching up with her, and all she wanted to do right now was go to bed. The door slammed shut behind her, and she looked up, almost expecting the glass to burst. Realizing who it was, she smiled and relaxed in her seat.

"Geez Dan, one day you'll break the door _and _the walls." Smiling at his younger colleagues tone, the large black man plopped down in the nearest chair, raising an eyebrow as if to say 'I'll take that risk'.

"That the rounds from the shooting?" he enquired and gestured towards the evidence that seemed to cover the entire table surface.

"Yup. Looks like we'll be here a while."

"Actually, Stella send me straight down when I came back in, she wants you in on the Miami case."

"So? But isn't this case a priority case? An officer was shot today!"

"I know, but she thinks that you could help, since you know both Miami and New Orleans inside and out. I'll cover you for the time being."

"Well yes, I guess so…" Gnawing at her lower lip, she looked away from him.

"Anything the matter, Bullet?" His tone was soft, as soft as tough Daniel Matthews could be, and his protective side was clearly evident as he leaned forward to look her in the eyes.

It felt good to have both Dan and Horatio around, since she saw something a father figure in both of them. Just like Horatio, Dan was very hard to lie to, and she tried her best to gloss over the inner conflict that was raging inside.

"I came here to take a little break, have a few minutes to myself-"

"It's that kid from Miami who's here for the missing hooker, ain't it?" Shocked at the fact he knew about this, it took a few seconds before she was able to form a coherent sentence again.

"Uh, you remember my opinion on office relationship?"

"Pretty clear, since I'm the one who planted it in you. No associating with anyone remotely related to your work." He had a crooked smile on his face and crossed his arms in front of his chest as he leaned back in his chair.

"That's exactly what I told him when we first met, too."

"And you ate your words."

"Big time." She smiled at him, just now realizing the irony in that statement. With Eric, she had crossed that line she had drawn so many years ago, but deep down she knew that even though it had complicated things ay work, it had been completely worth it.

"Well, I don't know what happened between you and that young man, but I'm telling you that he's not worth it if he doesn't realize what kind of girl you are. You're better than that."

"Thanks Dan, that's really sweet."

"I'm serious, Bullet. If he ever hurts you, I'm going to make him feel some real pain…"

"Actually Dan, it was me who ended it, but I'll pass on the message."

She stood and left him behind with the mount of evidence in front of them, turning once and shooting him a smile before she closed the door behind her. Making her way down the corridor, she made a mental note to kill Cristina for her big mouth.

Meanwhile, Stella had taken the MDPD CSIs to her office. They had been discussing the current developments and evidence they had been able to collect, as well as every possible leads and information they could get from Elizabeth. Stella had been a little skeptical at first to involve a civilian who was romantically involved with one of the investigating officers, and she had seriously questioned the need of bringing her along. Now, however, she was glad for the amount of detail she extracted from the girl.

"You're saying that this isn't the first time one of the girls in your group have disappeared?" Stella's tactics were different from the MDPD interrogations Elizabeth had experienced before, and the woman's apparent, objective lack of emotions made her slightly uncomfortable. Reluctantly, she opened her mouth to answer the question.

A sudden commotion in the corridor rendered the interrogation short, and everyone got up from their seats to check what was going on. The minute they stepped out of the office, a large yellow lab came running towards them. Elizabeth shrieked and turned away, while Stella bend down to catch the dog, but he slipped through her fingers. Cristina was running along the corridor and chasing after the dog.

"_Madre de Dios!_ Get back here, _Diablo!_"

"Cristina, what is the dog doing here?" Stella enquired after the initial surprise wore off.

"Don't know, just saw him racing down the corridor. Did somebody call Calleigh?"

Meanwhile, the Labrador was seemingly enjoying himself as he was running up and down along the lab undisturbed. A familiar voice suddenly pierced the air, getting his attention.

"Jazz! Here, boy!" Calleigh had appeared at the end of the corridor, and the dog came sprinting her way the second he had spotted her.

She caught his collar and held him back with her full body weight to keep him from jumping up as he excitedly wiggled his tail. A slender, blond girl, which Eric recognized as Calleigh's sister, rounded the corner and made her way over just as Calleigh had gotten the dog under control.

"Geez, Ellie. What are you doing here?" Calleigh's voice sounded strict, as she looked at her little sister, who just shrugged apologetically.

"Edward and I came here to get you, because you've not been home for 2 days. I just lost control of Jazz as we got to the lobby, I'm sorry."

"And where's Edward now?" Just as if to answer her question, Calleigh's younger brother joined the group now standing in front of Stella's office, while the rest of the lab was watching on.

"Cristina actually called and told me that you haven't slept in a while, and because she knew you wouldn't go home on your own account, she called for back-up." He winked at his sister, who just glared at him.

"That's really sweet of you guys, but I have a priority case here, which I can't just drop and leave-"

"We'll be alright here, Calleigh. You'll be of more help once you've rested. Go home." Calleigh met Stella's eyes in a silent question, and the lieutenant nodded as another indication for her to leave.

"Fine, since ya'll ganging up on me-"

"We just want you to rest, since we care," Cristina interrupted her midsentence and winked.

"And I have more than one bone to pick with you once I get back, Senorita," Calleigh replied as she turned to make her way to the locker room to get her things.

"Looking forward to it!" Cristina called over her shoulder as she walked away, her hips swaying gently as she walked.

Calleigh just shook her head and walked on, feeling Eric's eyes burning in her back the whole time.

"Looks like Calleigh finally found her match with this one," Natalia commented with a crooked smile on her face, amused at the exchange of words between the two women.

Never before had she met somebody who right-out challenged Calleigh and got away with it. Natalia would have never tried, considering Calleigh's vast gun collection and skills to make use of it.

"Well, Cristina knows what she wants, and you'd think that the two of them clash more often then not, but their personalities actually match quite well. Calleigh seems to be the only one able to control Cristina; she on the other hand is the only one getting through to her without her life getting threatened. I actually told Cristina to call her family, because I knew she wouldn't go home otherwise." Stella smirked with her eyebrows raised; a slightly amused tone was underlining her voice as she spoke.

Half an hour later, Calleigh found herself lying on the couch at home, while her brother and sister shared the second sofa to her right. They were engaged in a heated conversation about the reality factor in the newest police TV dramas, and she couldn't help but smile at their playful discussion. Jazz was lying in front of her couch, watching them intently without moving as much as an inch. He seemed to enjoy the time spend together, and he wasn't going to miss a minute of it. She remembered how she had sometimes pulled him up on the couch with her when he was still a puppy, and she glanced at the picture hanging over the mantelpiece, which served as proof. The picture showed her lying on the couch, looking beat after another particular exhausting day at work, and Jazz lay sprawled across her stomach. Both of them were sleeping soundly, seemingly oblivious to the world surrounding them.

Edward was a skilled photographer just as much as he was a writer, and many of his pictures were scattered about the apartment. He had an eye for the perfect composition, and always seemed to capture the best moments. His black and white pictures were especially beautiful, and they seemed to take her breath away every time she laid eyes on a new one of these jewels. At the moment, she just enjoyed being home with them, forgetting about what had happened at work today. Still, she wasn't able to ban Eric from her thoughts entirely, and she didn't even try. He had changed, as if he had been working out more, and she had detected the shadow of dark circles around his eyes. It worried her, and she had to fight the urge to pick up the phone and ask what was going on.

No, it wasn't her place. It pained her to see Elizabeth next to him, and she had spent the past few months away from him regretting her decision to ever let him go. She had been so blind and selfish, and she would give anything to reverse the damage she had done, but now she feared that she'd lost him, forever. Six months ago, she had experienced a moment of weakness, when her heart had finally taken over from her head. Back then; she would have still had him, body and soul. Now, she wasn't so sure anymore whether she had his heart. There was only one thing she was sure about: he still had hers.

Eric was wondering the same thing as he sipped at his coffee in the PD break room. He had excused himself a couple of minutes ago to have a little time to think, and his mind always seemed to turn back to her. Her obvious loss of weight, the increased worry lines on her forehead, and the prominent dark circles below her eyes had worried him. Edward was here to look after her, and Eric trusted him, since he seemed to have Calleigh's. He couldn't help but wonder, however, if she was seeing someone. On his way to Stella's office, Eric couldn't help but eyeball the competition, and there seemed a lot of eligible guys in the lab, not to mention that Jake Berkeley was working in the same city. The mere thought of his former colleague and fellow competitor for Calleigh's heart made his blood boil. Now, however, he knew that they were on a more equal ground. Jake didn't have the advantage of the former lover anymore, and Eric fought back a smirk that was forming on his face. It disappeared just as quickly as it had formed, as he remembered Calleigh's opinion on their relationship. He knew that there was little hope she would ever change her mind, but he knew that this would most likely be his very last chance at making things right, and he wasn't going to waste this chance this time.

"There you are." He turned at the sound her voice.

Elizabeth stood lingering in the doorway, a million questions etched on her delicate face. Eric couldn't help but notice all the positive changes about her features over the past few months since he met her. The heavy make-up was replaced by a soft, natural look, and her honey blond hair was falling down her shoulder in shining waves. She was dressed in jeans and a shirt, no longer wearing her skirts riding up high and her tops cut down low. She looked like the healthy young woman she ought to be, and it always brought a smile on his face, knowing that it was partially his doing as well.

"Yeah, sorry for abandoning you. I just needed a minute." Elizabeth nodded at his reply; she understood.

She hadn't missed the exchange between him and the short, blonde detective before, and their looks hadn't gone unnoticed. Searing jealousy had raged within her at first, which had been replaced by a longing for him to look at her the same way he had looked at that CSI. She owed him so much, and most of what she was now was thanks to him, but she knew that part of him was acting out of duty; he cared because she had been vulnerable and in need of help, but he didn't _love_ her. Not the way he seemed to love that little Southern firecracker.

Elizabeth had a healthy portion of confidence, and she wasn't self-conscious by any means; but, next to CSI Duquesne, she felt like a little grey mouse. Calleigh seemed able and strong, beautiful and determined, warm and loving, caring and firm. The perfect mother, and the perfect wife. Eric noticed her absent gaze and walked up to her, gently turning her face with his finger, forcing her to look at him.

"What's wrong?" His voice was soft and caring, and she closed her eyes to keep her focus.

"Eric, what's going on with you and that blonde?" He furrowed his brows; clearly irritated by the way she had referred to the other CSI.

"Her name's _Calleigh._ And what do you mean, '_is going on'_? I don't understand."

"Don't play me, Eric Delko. Do you really think I don't notice you slipping off to talk to her on the phone at night, or the way your face lights up when you see her name on your caller id? Now tell me, what's the deal between you two?" Much to her surprise, his anger vanished from his features and he avoided her eyes as he stepped away from her, his hands dropping from her body.

"Honestly? I'm not sure." He ran his hand through his short hair in frustration and sighed. "I'm sorry, Liz. You don't deserve this; to be caught in this situation. It's bad enough for me, and you shouldn't be involved in this." Now it was her turn to gently force him to look at her as she moved closer again.

"Eric, listen to me. I'm forever grateful for everything you did for me. I knew what I was getting myself into, and I could feel it from the start. Maybe, in the beginning, I was trying to fool myself and hoped that you'd come around, but in the end I knew that I never fully _had_ you."

"Elizabeth, I…"

"No, please let me finish. I can see you hurting, and now that I've seen you both, I know that she's hurting just as much. I've not had any experience with nice guys like you, and maybe that's why I tried to hold on to you. Seeing you two today made me realize that I want to find someone who looks at _me_ that way, who desperately wants to be with _me_, just like you want to be with her. I just hope that she gets her act together, because she doesn't seem to know what she's missing. She's a lucky girl."

"I, uh, thanks. This means a lot to me, Liz. I'm sorry; I really mean it. I never meant to hurt you." She looked at him and smiled gently, squeezing his arm.

"You're a great friend, Eric. You don't know how grateful I am." He pulled her close, hugging her tight.

Elizabeth was taller than Calleigh, and he couldn't help but notice how different she felt in his arms. He missed the way Calleigh fit snug against his body, and he longed to bury his face in her golden tresses. Pulling away slowly, he smiled at Elizabeth and started walking her towards the door.

"Come on, let's find your friend."

They were about to exit the room when her cell phone rang, and she raised it to her ear immediately after checking the ID on the display. Her voice sounded exited and deeply worried at the same time as she started pacing around the room.

"Abby, thank God, where are you?"

"_I don't know, Liz. Somewhere in New Orleans, but I don't know the area."_

"Are you ok?"

"_Yeah, I'm fine. They just dropped me off, I'm living with a bunch of girls in the area; they seem nice enough."_

"So they're not holding you captive anywhere?"

"_I wouldn't make them any money then, would I?"_

"I'm just glad you're ok. We'll come find you and take you home."

"_No, please Lizzy, listen to me. You can't show up here with this cop friend of yours. There are other girls around, and none of us is safe. Don is dangerous and moody as you know, and he's going to kill me if he gets wind of the whole thing."_

"You could help us find the other girls. The people here are nice and willing to help. There are programs that help people like us getting back on our feet. There's always another option –"

"_Please, Lizzy, can you just listen to yourself? Do you really believe what you're saying?"_

"A few months ago I would have laughed in anyone's face who was trying to tell me this, but I've _seen_ it, Abby. It is possible, and these people are _good_. They only want our best, I promise. You have to try and help."

"I don't know, Babe. I really don't know."

"Just…talk to them. Please?"

"_Ok, I don't want to promise anything, but I'll try. I'll get back to you if I get a minute to myself. Don is watching me. I gotta go."_

"Ok. Stay safe."

"_Same to you, girlfriend. Later!"_

Elizabeth heard the familiar 'click' and the line went dead. She slipped her phone back in her purse and turned towards Eric, who had his left eyebrow raised questioningly.

"She's fine, and she might have valuable information for you guys, but she doesn't know yet if she'll be able to talk to us without getting herself in danger. Don's unpredictable, you know?"

"Let us worry about that, Babe. Come on; let's find Stella and Horatio. We'll find a way to get Abby back, I intent to keep my promises."

Together, they walked out of the room and down the corridor towards Stella's office. The others were still seated around the long table, and the conversation came to and end as Eric and Elizabeth stepped through the door. Eric recognized a few unfamiliar faces around the table, and he guessed that Stella had summoned a few more CSIs from her lab to join in the investigation. He fleetingly caught Cristina's eye and she winked at him, adverting her gaze immediately and focused on her supervisor once more. His eyes travelled over the people sitting around the table and his insides froze as he recognized the familiar shaggy brown hair and cocky smile on the ATF agent seated next to Cristina. What was he doing here? As if on cue, Jake looked up and their eyes met. Jakes face broke into the familiar wide smirk, and Eric forced himself to return the gesture with a short nod and a small smile before returning his attention to his own supervisor.

"We, uh, might have some new evidence."

"Go on," Stella urged, now focusing on the dark, tall CSI standing in front of her.

Professionalism taking over once again, Eric proceeded to tell them about the newest developments and the conversation Elizabeth had just had with the missing girl. Stella listened intently, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration, and she never interrupted him before he was finished. She nodded in agreement at his statement, and turned towards Jake.

"Agent Berkeley, can you relate to any of these statements?"

"Well, one of our agents was placed in close proximity to Don a couple of months ago. He was the one driving the car back from Miami last night. We've been monitoring the group for multiple activities, but this is the closest we've come to an actual conviction."

"I see. You mentioned that you believe that the group is also behind the human trafficking ring that is active around the area."

"We do, yes. Our agent has heard rumors about it, and it's actually the reason for his assignment in the first place, but the traffics have been stopped ever since the bust in Miami. They're being more careful, and our agent is walking a thin line. Don trusts nobody, and he certainly seems quite dangerous."

Eric was surprised at the seriousness with which Jake had spoken today. He seemed a changed man, and Eric couldn't help but notice his cleanly shaven face, the white shirt and the slightly more tamed hair. Fear emitted from the pit of his stomach, and he wondered if Calleigh was the reason for all of his changes. Then again, he hadn't changed much the last time they had been together. Still, Eric couldn't help the pang of jealousy he was experiencing again.

Checking her watch, Stella realized that the shift had come to a close, and without a pressing matter at hand, there was no reason to keep everyone around much longer. There was no immediate danger for Abigail anymore, and they could try a different approach tomorrow.

"Ok people, let's all go home and come back first thing tomorrow for a fresh start. Thank you all."

Half an hour later, Eric plopped down on the bed in his hotel room. Each of them had a room to themselves, and he was glad to have a few moments to himself. Turning his head to the side, he was able to survey the surrounding buildings and the New Orleans skyline as the sun crept lower on the horizon. It was still early evening, and there was no way he would be able to go to sleep right now. Getting up from his position on the bed, he took out his phone and dialed the familiar number. It rang twice before it was picked up.

"Caine," the voice sounded immediately.

"Hey H, it's Eric. Just wondering what the plans are for tonight."

"Well, as of now Eric, I think we have some time to explore the city. Why, do you have anything specific in mind?" Eric chuckled softly; his brother-in-law knew exactly what he was after.

"Actually, I thought about borrowing the rental car for a few hours if you don't mind, I'll be back before you guys are."

"Sure, go ahead, but take your time. Oh, and Eric… say hi to Calleigh for me, will you?"

Eric laughed again before he answered, "Will do, thanks H."

He quickly told Elizabeth about his plans before he left, and she assured him that she would be fine without him for a night. After programming Calleigh's address he had gotten from Cristina into the GPS, he exited the hotel's garage and made his way back downtown. In the evening, the city seemed even more alive than it had during the day. A different set of people crowded the streets, and it seemed utterly familiar. Clubbers and partygoers were a usual sight on busy Miami nights, and New Orleans didn't seem any different. He finally turned into her street and stared in disbelief at the GPS unit as it told him that he had reached his destination. Calleigh couldn't possibly life _here_, could she? This seemed just so different from her clean and safe neighborhood in prestigious Bal Harbor, and he slowly shook his head as he parked his car on the side.

He walked over to the house that bore the right number, and he jumped slightly as a large dog ran along the fence in the neighboring garden, barking all the while. Another bark could be heard from inside the house, and Eric guessed that it must have been the golden lab he had just seen this afternoon. He was glad Calleigh had given in to her love of dogs once more, and it somewhat calmed him that she wasn't there unprotected. Noticing that the barking didn't come from the apartment downstairs, he made his way up the narrow staircase to side, and pressed the doorbell after taking a deep breath. He could hear shuffling and more barking behind the door before the main door opened and Ellie peeked through the open gap while holding back the dog that tried to squeeze through. She recognized him immediately and opened the door wide, reaching for the screen door while still trying to tame the exited Labrador next to her.

"Jazz, please," she whispered before raising her voice. "Calleigh, someone's at the door for you!"

He could hear her in the background, and saw her dark figure stepping from the shadows into the hallway. Her voice sounded heavy with sleep, but it had a worried edge to it.

"Ellie, what have I told you about opening the door to strangers- oh." Her gaze fell upon Eric and she smiled, shifting uneasily against the doorframe as she took hold of Jazz's collar as well. "Eric, what brings you here?"

Unsure what to say now that he was standing in front of her, he shifted his weight from one foot to the other before finding his voice again. "I, uh, just wanted to stop by, see how you are…"

"Why don't you come in," she suggested and stepped aside to make room for him. "It's nothing fancy here, but it's home."

"You know what, I was on my way to take Jazz out anyway. I'm just, uh, going over to Holly's to see if her and Ginger want to come along." Ellie grabbed the leash off the hook by the door and left before Calleigh was able to form a reply.

Eric followed her deeper inside the apartment and couldn't help but notice a few familiar things scattered around the room. There didn't seem to be much that she had taken from Miami, but the apartment still held her familiar touch, and it calmed him immensely. He plopped down in the chair by the window and watched her as she moved around the kitchen. She returned to him a few minutes later with two steaming mugs of coffee, handing him one with a gentle smile tugging at her lips. He took a sip and smiled, grateful for the warmth.

"Thanks, you still remember that I like my coffee a little stronger."

"How could I forget? That's one of the first things I learned about you."

They sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, sharing occasional glances and small smiles, knowing that both of them were thinking the same thing. Something had changed between them before they had even met, and they were sure that this time, they would do everything right. They would take things slow and try not to rush, but just the knowledge that it wasn't too late for them was enough to warm their insides more than the steaming liquid they held in their hands.

* * *

><p>Elizabeth stood outside the building, wiping her forehead once again as the sweat slowly started to trickle down her face. She still hadn't adjusted to the humidity, and spending most of her day within the air-conditioned PD hadn't helped at all. Shortly after Eric had left, she had received a call from Abby to meet her outside the hotel later that evening. She had sounded slightly rushed and anxious, and Elizabeth guessed that she was still scared of Don. Abby had asked to meet her alone, and that she wasn't to tell anyone yet. Elizabeth had agreed without giving it a second thought, since this was her friend after all, and she trusted her.<p>

Now, however, as she was standing in the fading evening light, she couldn't help but wonder if she was making the right decision. Recognizing the black car that approached her position, she realized her mistake, but it was too late. She tried to turn back inside, but she had barely made more than three steps before a set of strong arms encircled her small waist and pulled her inside the car, slamming the door shut behind her. She could her the familiar sound of the lock falling into place and she shivered, squinting her eyes as she adjusted to the low level of light that came through the tinted windows.

"And we meet again. It's nice to see you, Baby." She would have recognized this voice anywhere and her insides froze; she was done with.

"What do you want," she pressed through gritted teeth, her back pressed against the car door to keep as much space between herself and the man across from her as possible.

"You know exactly what I want, bitch! You and your little friends are trying to ruin me! Your precious Abby made the mistake of getting in the way, thinking that she could join your little circus, but she's already paying for that."

"What are you doing to her?"

"Nothing…yet. It's entirely up to you."

Sighing in defeat and blinking back the tears that threatened to fall, she turned towards him. "Alright, what do you want me to do?"

"I have a bone to pick with some of the officers you were with today. They can't find out about my activities, you hear me? You'll be my informant, my spy, and my little undercover agent. Who says that they're the only ones allowed to spy on the other side?"

She swallowed hard as she heard him laugh triumphantly, knowing that he had her pinned. There was no way she could refuse without risking her friend's life, along with her own and the rest of the MDPD and some of the New Orleans CSIs. Her attention turned back to her current situation as she heard him speak again.

"You're going to be smooth, and you're going to do exactly as I tell you, or your friend will feel it! Now, here's what I want you to do…"

* * *

><p><strong>And there you have it. Feeling a little evil today, ha ha ha. As always, let me know what you think!<strong>


	7. Hurricanes

**Finally, I've been able to find time to write. Two architecture classes and one humanities class = no time. I've spend 12 hours at uni every day, so when I get home at 10:30pm I can't do anything else but fall asleep, although my fingers have been itching all these weeks! A forced three-day Easter break (studio's closed) finally gave me the time. The following chapter is probably the longest I've written so far, but once I started it was just pouring out like water, and there was no other way to break this up. I'd love to get some feedback, since I'm wondering if I'm actually going the right direction here? Any suggestions are helpful! And special thanks also to **_**Arlene**_** for reviewing every chapter! Hope you enjoy this one!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my own creations. Everything else is property of CBS.**

* * *

><p>The sun was high up in the sky, and Calleigh brushed a lose streak of hair from her flustered face. Glad in old jean shorts and a worn white shirt she had owned since her university days, she was certainly dressed for the occasion. Her fellow partners in crime were in similar attire; their only accessories consisted of multiple splatters of paint that covered their bodies in various places. Calleigh was grateful for the floral scarf her friend had lent her earlier, since it held her long blond tresses in place as best as possible as she had it wrapped on top her head. With an amused grin on her face she observed the scene in front of her and quietly chuckled to herself as she watched her sister and her childhood best friend move about the house. Why in God's name they had chosen to paint the house today of all days she wasn't entirely sure, but she enjoyed the time she got to spend with them nonetheless. April wore a look of utter concentration on her face as she attempted to retouch the layer of paint she had applied to one of the lower columns earlier that day.<p>

Her short black hair was pulled into two French braids, and a red scarf was wrapped securely around her head. The small woman seemed too engrossed in her work to notice her friend's glance, and Calleigh focused on her own task once more. She was painting the metal railing leading up to her own apartment and she hummed along softly to the song that had just come on the radio. It was sitting on top of a chair next to where Jazz was dosing in the shade of the crippled apple tree next to their house, and the soft melody of the Florence and the Machine song filled the midday air. Suddenly, Calleigh had to think back to last the night she had spent with Eric in Miami. The sheer memories of the hours they spent together brought a soft blush to her face that had nothing to do with the heat, and she wondered which direction their relationship would take in the long run. They had talked for hours when he had come over a few days ago, but they had seemingly avoided the topic that had been on their minds for the longest time. She had no idea where they were heading, but deep down she was sure that they were doing the only right thing. They had barely touched, let alone kiss, and it seemed good to take things one day at a time. Reminding herself that he was on his way over this very moment, she could feel the pleasant tingle of excitement starting in the pit of her stomach. Yes, she was sure they were doing the right ting.

April's voice finally pulled her back into reality, and Calleigh turned towards her friend, who wore an annoyed scowl on her dark lips, the chocolate colored skin of her face was knitted into tight little knots on her forehead, and she had her hands placed on her hips in a lightly annoyed stance.

"Calleigh Rose Duquesne, change that station this instant!" She ordered with a firm voice.

Calleigh just chuckled again, but made no move towards the offending device.

"Why, you don't like softer tunes?"

"Excuse me? What the heck is wrong with you? You call that… that howling, _music_? Please, change that. _Now_."

Calleigh shook her head and smiled, but gave into her friend's request. She fiddled with the radio's buttons until she found a station she knew April would be fine with. A Rihanna song filled the air, and April's face broke into a bright smile as it reached her ears.

"Now that's what I'm talking about. Finally a beat I can work with!" She announced and lightly swayed her hips as if to underline her statement.

Her joy was short lived, however, as her mother came bolting from inside the house mere moments after Calleigh had straightened her back from bending to change the station.

"April! Turn that off _right now_!" Her booming voice cut through the atmosphere like an army jet engine. A few scared birds fled the apple tree and flew off into the distance as the black woman made her way over to the radio to change the music.

"But Mom…" April weakly protested as the tunes of a Christian song reached her ears moments later.

"I don't wanna hear it, and I don't want to hear nothing of that girl, she wears next to nothin' nowadays. What are your kids supposed to think? So no more of that _noise_ in my house, are we clear?"

"Yes, Momma." April gave up in defeat. Her mother gave a sharp nod and disappeared into the house again.

Calleigh was fighting hard not to laugh and bit down on her knuckles in an attempt to stifle the giggles that were threatening to come out. Ellie was rolling on the floor all the while, and April just glared at them.

"You just enjoy my misery, don't you?"

Calleigh shook her head and stepped closer to her friend, putting a hand on her shoulder in a peace offering. "Oh April, you know we love you."

"Yeah, yeah, it's alright. Now shush, back to work," the woman brushed her friend away in a playful manner, and Calleigh returned to her previous spot to resume her work while the gospel choir on the radio commenced their joyful chorus for what seemed like the hundredth time.

Meanwhile, Eric had reached the street and parked the car a few houses down. He had walked over to her house and his ears perked up at the sounds that reached them. Soft laughter filled the air, paired with two strong female voices he didn't recognize. The only thing that seemed a little out of order was the church song that was playing in the background, but he reminded himself that they were in the Deep South, and he just chuckled and shook his head as he approached the gate. The sight that graced his eyes almost took his breath away. Calleigh was dressed in some old worn-out clothes that were covered in paint, her hair was held back with a large silk scarf whose ends fell loosely across her left shoulder. She wasn't wearing any make-up at all, and her face was showing a subtle hint of freckles around her nose. She was covered in paint all over, but to him, she had never looked more beautiful. It was the way she moved and joked with her friend, and she seemed so at ease, almost glowing. It had been a long time since he had seen her like this, and he wasn't even entirely sure he ever had, but it just seemed so natural. He couldn't tear his eyes off her as he just stood there, frozen, mesmerized by the woman he believed to know inside out.

Finally snapping back into reality, he opened the gate and passed through, where he was met immediately by 75 pounds of excited Labrador. His eyes never left Calleigh's face as he tried to fend off the friendly dog, and he registered the glint in her eyes that seemed to brighten a notch at the sight of him, if that was even possible. Ellie came to his rescue and pulled the dog away from him with a quick "Hi Eric!" to him and a "No, Jazz!" for the golden Lab. Calleigh slowly approached him with a happy smile on her face, and she seemed hesitant, almost shy, as she reached for his him and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. He was surprised by her action, but didn't let it show.

"Hi," she whispered softly after pulling away, still with the same shyness about her that he wasn't used to at all.

"Hey," he murmured back and couldn't fight the urge to brush his thumb across her cheek. They had an unspoken agreement to keep their situation private, and this was a big step up in their newfound relationship.

April was watching the scene from afar and sighed with contentment. It was almost like watching one of these cheesy romantic movies where the hero and the heroine stare into each other's eyes after finally admitting their feelings, like they're the only two people on the planet. She was more than happy to see her friend like this. They were obviously trying to hide their attraction from everyone, but their body language spoke volumes. They seemed drawn to each other like magnets, always touching in some way or another. Calleigh finally pulled away, turning towards her friend, who had come closer with a curious look on her face.

"Um, Eric, this is my friend April. April, this is Eric." Her eyes kept flicking back and forth between them, and Eric was seemingly amused by her nervousness.

"Eric…Delko, isn't it? Hi, it's nice to finally put a face to a name." April smiled as she extended her hand towards Eric, who accepted the gesture.

"Likewise," he replied and shot her one of his brilliant smiles. If April wasn't sure exactly why her friend had fallen for this man, now she knew for sure.

"I hope you came to help, young man," a third voice suddenly interrupted their friendly introductions. Momma Dean had appeared by the door and now came walking their way.

"Um, yes Ma'am," Eric replied quickly and scratched the back of his head, not entirely sure how to react.

As the sun was about to set, they were finally able to put away their paintbrushes and clean up. Calleigh felt as if she had more paint on her body than they had actually managed to apply to the house, and she gratefully accepted the glass of fresh lemonade Momma Dean had concocted. She watched Eric drain his glass in one go and shared an amused smile with him as their eyes met. April had been watching them all afternoon, and she wasn't the only one. Momma Dean and Ellie seemed equally satisfied with the new development; Ellie was ecstatic. She had been bombarding Eric with the typical curious teenage girl questions all afternoon, and was deeply impressed. Calleigh seemed equally pleased by their fast growing relationship and she was relieved that Ellie had taken a liking to him so quickly.

April was able to catch her friend alone once everything was cleared. Calleigh was leaning against the garden wall and watched her sister questioning Eric about his family. Her face bore this gentle, soft smile that she reserved to the few people she held dear, and April was contemplating whether to disturb her friend or leave her be. Curiosity got the better of her and she gave in, approaching her best friend with a knowing smile on her face.

"How much longer were you planning on hiding this amazing piece of man?" Her tone was nonchalant and conversationally, but Calleigh still almost choked on her lemonade.

"What?" She was finally able to get out.

"Oh don't play dumb with me, Calleigh. I've known you for over thirty years. I can read you like a book; always have."

"True," the blonde agreed, but still refused to meet her friend's eyes, and April finally understood.

"What are you afraid of, honey?" Her voice was soft as she placed a reassuring hand on Calleigh's arm, and the blonde finally turned to face her.

"That it won't work out. Again. We've already risked too much, and I'm scared of myself and the way I _need_ him, April. I was miserable without him these past months, and it's really something I'm not used to." Calleigh's eyes held a slight sense of panic, and April squeezed her arm in reassurance.

"I know. But trust me, baby, I don't think he'd mess it up intentionally. He seems completely head over heels for you, and I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am to finally see you happy, too."

"You thought that'd never happen, did you?" Calleigh's voice was semi-serious, but she smirked she kept her gaze trained on the man in question.

"To be completely honest with you – no, I didn't," April admitted. "Although I always thought Berkeley and you would be a never ending story."

"No, I'm glad that we've finally established that we're just friends. He's very happy with Hillary. We would just keep hurting each other; we're too similar. We seem to work well as friends though."

"True. And you and Eric are complete opposites? I don't believe that." April sounded skeptic as she raised one of her eyebrows in typical fashion and Calleigh chuckled.

"No, we're not… but it just fits. We've changed so much since we've met, and sometimes I don't even recognize what we've become." Calleigh smiled and April grinned in return.

"Oh yeah, I remember the Calleigh Duquesne who called me at four in the morning from Jacksonville to tell me that she got a job in Miami."

"I was super excited; overly so."

"You know, I always admired you. You seemed so strong, as if nothing could ever move your foundations and your cheerful self; you always seemed to do the right thing, and do it well."

"That's true, but I also closed off completely, and I was unable to feel for the longest time. Eric and I wouldn't have worked back then."

"Why, how was he like?" April's curiosity piqued once again.

"Quite cocky? He was fresh out of college and not even a cop yet… Even after he joined CSI he was quite the ladies man, and he jumped from one girl to the next; living his life to the fullest. It took me a long time to believe he actually meant what he said about me."

"Doesn't sound that unusual to me, Calleigh. He's not the only guy who enjoys the freedom of finally being able to decide for himself. So what changed your mind?"

Calleigh thought for a minute, unable to answer straight away. When she finally did answer, her voice sounded strong and confident. "We've been friends for so many years, so I learned how to tell when he's telling the truth. And it was a process rather than an occurrence that changed my mind; it was his whole behavior. At first I believed he was just jealous of Jake, and that he saw me as some kind of possession. When he didn't change after Jake had left, I realized that he was actually serious."

"It sounds very surreal when you think that a guy has had a new girl every week for years and you're the one who actually ties him down. I know it happens, though." April smiled once again and Calleigh nodded in understanding.

"I remember Adam's arsenal of girls in college before he finally admitted he'd always been after you," Calleigh put in and they shared a laugh.

"And now look where we are. Married for almost ten years, three kids and our own house. Are we getting old, Cal?"

"I don't know, but sometimes I wonder the same thing. Marriage. Kids. Houses. It all seemed like ages away just a few years ago. Now, it seems like a real possibility." It was the first time she had ever admitted it, even to herself. In a way it shocked her, but in another it just felt so _right._

"I'm happy for you. Really, from what I can tell and from everything you've told me about him, he seems like a great guy. So this better work out, or I'll come after him. You can tell him that."

The two friends shared another laugh before their attention shifted to the people that entered the courtyard that very moment. April's husband Adam had arrived with his father-in-law and their three kids in tow. They had spent the day in the park babysitting the kids, since April claimed that they were able to paint the house by themselves. Adam had been terrified at the prospect of watching all three of his kids all by himself, so he gratefully accepted his father-in-law's offer to accompany him.

"Mom! We saw ducks, and swans and there was even a flamingo!" April's youngest exclaimed as she came running towards her mother.

"I think I'm going to rescue Eric from my sister's Spanish Inquisition," Calleigh whispered and April laughed before tending to her daughter.

Calleigh quickly welcomed Adam and made her way over to where Eric was sitting in one of the garden stools. He seemed tired after the hours they had spent working outside and he smiled as she approached. Ellie had been snatched away by April's older girls just a few moments ago, and he seemed relieved to be able to finally relax. Calleigh took as seat beside him and he instantly reached for her hand without thinking, intertwining their fingers.

"Exhausted?" She joked lightly and he smiled.

"A little," he admitted and looked at her, his eyes never leaving hers as he played with their fingers.

"Thanks for the help. I'm sorry for wearing you out like this. You didn't have to come."

"Calleigh, I'm actually glad you asked me to come. I got to share a part of your everyday life around here, and I'm grateful for it." He squeezed her hand, and on a second thought, he raised their joined hands to his lips to place a gentle kiss on her knuckles. They lapsed into a comfortable silence and stayed like that, with their hands connected, until Momma Dean finally called them in for dinner.

* * *

><p>His eyes travelled along her sleeping form. Her hands lay folded delicately under her head, as she lay on her side facing him, and she looked like a life-size porcelain doll to him. He couldn't fight the urge to touch her creamy skin as the sun slowly crept through the sheer curtains of her apartment, and he gently traced his index finger along her jaw line. Her eyes opened the second his finger touched her skin, and an instant smile lit up her features even more. Unable to resist her any longer, he leaned in close and touched his lips to hers in the softest of kisses. She sighed softly as she returned the kiss, and he could feel her hands snaking around his neck, pulling him closer as their legs entangled under the sheets. His hands tangled in her silky, long hair and he breathed in her scent.<p>

"When do you have to go in today?" she whispered in his ear as he proceeded to kiss her neck instead, moaning slightly when he hit a sensitive spot.

"Don't know, they want me in at 10 to discuss any further development." Her skin muffled his voice, and she giggled softly as his breath tickled her neck. "I thought that we could go for dinner tonight, just you and me?"

"Hmmm. Sounds good."

His ringing phone interrupted their pristine morning, and he leaned over to take the call with a heavy sigh. He sighed as he checked the screen first before pressing the green button.

"Hey favorite sister of mine, any reason why you're calling at 7 in the morning?"

He could hear her chuckle on the other end before she answered his question. _"Actually, no. Just trying to annoy the hell out of you."_

"Very funny," he scoffed. "Now, what's up?"

"_Nothing really, just wanted to make sure you remembered that Ellie has her show tonight, so I expect you to come and spend some time with your younger sister for a change…"_

He groaned, burying his face in his left hand. Of course he had forgotten.

"That's great timing, Calleigh, I am kinda busy tonight…"

"_Edward! You know it's important for her that we come to support her. Come on, I bet Lou won't mind. Bring her along!"_ He glared at a spot on the opposite wall, imagining Calleigh's head.

"Really, Baby, I don't mind. You know I love your little sister. She's the cutest thing." He turned towards the brown-haired woman lying next to him and stared into her sparkling blue eyes, trying to determine whether she was serious. He sighed in defeat.

"Fine, I'll come over at 7 to pick her up. Show's at 11, right? We'll come by PD to get you."

"_Thank Ed, you're the best!"_ He heard her quick reply, followed by the telltale click, before the line went dead.

He lay back on the bed, sighing in frustration and running his hand over his face once again. Louise was chuckling softly and snuggled close to him, curling into his side.

"You know I love to see your sister sing. She has a beautiful voice." She stroked his chest and he smiled despite his discontentment.

"I know. It's just… I was hoping we could go on a date today…"

"But we are! Dinner and a show, sounds great to me."

"You and me _plus_ Calleigh and my Dad. Doesn't sound too romantic to me to be honest."

She didn't answer and pulled him into a soft kiss. His anger slowly drained away as she soothed his lips with her kisses, and he turned in her arms to return the favor.

* * *

><p>Jake pulled off the heavy suit jacket he had been wearing; leaving him in his plain white t-shirt he liked to wear underneath. The room was small and stuffy, but it was filled with a suffocating heat that made him sweat twice as much as he usually did on mucky summer mornings just like this one. No, it was the man that sat across from him that made him sweat, and the way the guy's mocking grin pulled his face into an ugly grimace. He seemed so sure of himself, even after hours of interrogation. Jake was frustrated. He knew that this bastard knew <em>everything<em>, but it seemed like he wasn't going to tell them. How were they going to make him talk? So far, he hadn't said a word in eight hours. Jake sat back down across from the guy, and he watched as his gaze travelled up to his biceps that flexed as he sat down, and he send a challenging gaze his way. That bastard was going to talk, sooner or later.

"You have lots of time, I see. Do you have that much patience with all your suspects?" Once he finally spoke, his voice sounded rough. The question seemed simple and innocent, but Jake knew it was all but that. Ok, if he was going to play that way…

"Who says you're a suspect?" Jake leaned forward in his seat and flexed his muscles again, letting the guy know that his patience was in fact running thin.

"Don't know; you tell me. Why else would you end up in interrogation if you haven't broken the law in some way or another?" The grin was back, and it made Jake's insides turn.

"Well, whether you have or you haven't, I don't really care right now." Jake produced a picture from his pocket and placed it on the table for what felt like the hundredth time today, "Mariebelle Duquesne."

He watched the guy's face intently, and noticed the clear signs of recognition in his watery blue eyes. They flickered back and forth between the picture and his face, and Jake could almost _see _the wheels turning in his brain.

"Look, pretty boy, I really don't know how you're connected to that girl and that family of hers, but I'd stay away if I were you." Now it was getting interesting.

"And why's that?"

"Well, that girl's father has some beef with the boss. Can't pay back the money he owes. They took the girl because she was supposed to make some money back in Florida."

"So she wasn't taken at random."

"No shit, man; there's never any coincidences with Don. So, like I said, you better stay hands off on this one if you wanna hold on to your hide a little while longer. He already took out the guy's wife, so you could be next." Jake felt sick. This was a development he hadn't even considered in his wildest dreams.

"He killed his wife?" He gulped.

"Sure did, as a warning. They thought it was an accident; Don is clever."

So Kenwall Duquesne had known all along; the only question that was yet to solve was why he had kept silent. He had risked his children's life as well as his own, and his wife had already paid the price. Jake knew that he couldn't stay quiet about this, not only because Calleigh was a close friend, but also because if the guy was talking the truth, they were _all _in danger.

* * *

><p>Calleigh put away her phone with a sigh and folded her hands on the desk in front of her. Why in the world did she have the urge to put her head down on the table, she had no idea. Somehow, she wondered if it might have something to do with the fact that her brother had forgotten about his brotherly duties <em>again.<em> She shook her head; surprised at herself for thinking the Duquesne men were ever going to change. As if. The previous call to her father had gone much the same, and she just hoped that they would be there on time. A soft knock on her door caught her attention and she turned, smiling brightly as she recognized the person standing in the doorway.

"You know, I'd understand this behavior at the end of your shift, but it's barely 7am…" He was leaning on the doorframe with his arms crossed in front of his chest and the trademark smirk on his face.

The simple, long-sleeve shirt he was wearing hugged him in all the right places, and Calleigh had to fight the urge to stare. His smirk grew even wider as he noticed, and she was sure he knew what he was doing to her. Bastard.

"Yeah, well…"

"Family stuff?" His voice had changed from playful to serious, and she detected a slight sense of concern in his eyes as he deposited a stack of papers on the table beside the door, came up behind her, took a hold of her shoulders and started massaging her muscles.

"No, just reminding my chaotic family of their duties tonight," she murmured with her eyes closed.

"Oh yes, your sister's show."

"Hmm… my grandmother's already on her way, and they'll feel the wrath of Virginia Rose Blanchard if they don't show up on time."

He chuckled softly behind her, amused by her reaction. She was tense, but his massage seemed to relax her a little as she leaned into his touch. Suddenly realizing what she was doing, Calleigh opened her eyes and looked up at him with a mock-accusing glare.

"You know you could get me fired here."

He just smirked and leaned in close to whisper in her ear: "You didn't seem to mind just a few moments ago."

And this quickly, the atmosphere had shifted from serious to playful once again. Nevertheless, he let go of her and stepped back to put a respectable distance between them, and Calleigh took a quick look around to double check if somebody had been watching them through the glass walls. Why on earth did they install glass walls in every crime lab across the country? She cleared her throat.

"So," she started once again, but a smile was still playing on her lips as she continued, "What brings you in so early this morning?"

"Very selfish reasons." Her eyebrows shot up and she waited for him to continue. "I know it's early, and the others won't be here for at least another fifteen minutes, but I just wanted to see you."

Calleigh blushed and felt silly for reacting like a fourteen-year old school girl all over again, but that was what he did to her. Nobody else, besides maybe Jake, had been able to affect her this way. She had to muster all her strength to stay cool and collected, and to act professional. They were at work after all, so she leaned closer to him to whisper a warning, but he just smirked and sat down on the corner of her desk.

"Eric, I'm at _work._"

"Fine, I'm all hands-off. What have you been off to? I mean, before the family stuff." She turned back around to face the papers on her desk, and her smile slightly faltered.

"I don't know, I've just been going over the personal information we got from all the girls that were transported to Miami back then… if there's anything they have in common…is it possible that we overlooked something?" Eric listened to her and gnawed at his bottom lip as he looked over her shoulder at the photos that covered her desk.

"H took me off the case, Walter and Ryan were still working it. Most leads ran cold the last few weeks though."

"Same over here. Jake told me that they were still on the case, but these guys have been keeping a low profile the last few months because they knew they're being watched."

"Depends how low-profile they kept it," he retrieved the stack of papers he had put away earlier and dropped them in front of her. "Ryan faxed those over just a few minutes ago. Early birthday present." She smiled and slightly slapped his shoulder.

"I knew it, so this wasn't just a social visit."

"Maybe not to start off with, but I wanted it to be."

"You know that flattery doesn't get you anywhere with me, mister." She smirked at him and he returned the gesture, raising his eyebrows and batting his eyes.

Suddenly she wondered that if he had a daughter, would she be just like him? She was sure that nobody with the heart in the right spot would be able to resist that fatal combination of the famous Eric Delko charms and the cute little girl she imagined. Beautiful, chestnut brown curls, lightly sun-kissed skin that was just a little lighter than his, and those same gorgeous warm brown eyes hidden behind long lashes. She shook her head to clear her mind. Why exactly was she thinking about this again? There were more important things that needed to be talked through. Soon.

"Eric… we still haven't talked about _this_." He didn't have to ask what 'this' meant, because he knew immediately from the look in her eyes and the way they had travelled slowly from her hands on the desk all the way up to his face.

"You want to talk about it now?" She didn't even have to look at him; she could practically hear his smirk in his voice. Her own whispered answer was firm and final, but a smile still graced her lips.

"No, not here."

Stella had been standing outside for a couple of minutes, hidden behind a column, so that her coworker hadn't been able to see her. She had known from day one that something was going on between these two and she had always suspected that someone had been on Calleigh's mind. She had borne the sure signs of someone deeply affected by the loss of a special person, and she had doubted that it had anything to do with the untimely death of her mother. Stella was happy to see Calleigh like this, but the news she was about to deliver were going to shatter the blonde's world once again. She had received the news late last night and had made a few calls to make arrangements for the whole Duquesne family to be present.

Jake Berkeley was waiting in her office, and the rest of Calleigh's family had arrived a few minutes ago. It pained her to interrupt the little moment that was unfolding in front of her, but she had given these two as much time as she could spare. She stepped out of her hiding place and softly knocked on the doorframe, making her presence known. Eric straightened up immediately and moved a couple of feet away from his current position to put some distance between them. Stella cleared her throat.

"Calleigh, we have a new development in the case, so I called a department meeting. You two better come with me," she announced and turned on her heels without another words; the clicking of heels behind her was the only sign that they were following her.

Stella's behavior seemed odd, and a million different things were going through Calleigh's head as she followed her superior through the maze of hallways towards her office. She stopped dead in her tracks as she spotted the people seated in the waiting area. Three small children were running around the seats, and the little girl's blond hair was flying behind her as she ran. Her eyes lit up as she spotted the blonde coming their way.

"Aunty Calleigh!" she screamed and her brothers echoed her antics as they all came racing towards her.

"Hey, what are you guys doing down here?" Calleigh replied sweetly as she bent down, but she shot her boss a worried glance.

Out of the corner of her eye she recognized her little sister, who was seated next to her sister-in-law, her younger brother Jamie and her grandmother. Edward was leaning against the wall beside them, and her breath caught in her throat as she recognized the man standing beside her father not far from them. Jake was well-groomed, which she knew was thanks to Hillary, and Calleigh would have been happy to see him under any other circumstances, but his presence made the blood in her veins run cold. He was wearing his ATF uniform, so it meant official business. Stella brought her out of her trance as she cleared her throat.

"You better follow me inside." Her voice sounded strong, and everyone obliged.

Calleigh had caught the quick interchange of glances between her and Jake. The two seemed to be the only ones who knew what was going on, as the rest of the NOPD and MDPD seemed equally stunned. Her sister in law stayed behind with the kids, and Calleigh got even more worried as Stella indicated for them all to take a seat. Including her.

"I'm sorry to drag everyone out here, but Agent Berkeley and his team have uncovered some alarming news that required all of you to be present." Calleigh held her breath and waited for Stella to continue, "There is some…evidence that emerged concerning the death of your mother."

The room was dead silent. Nobody even dared to take a breath. Calleigh's worst nightmare seemed to unfold right in front of her, and she trained her eyes to a spot on the table in front of her, although she could feel Eric's intense gaze on her. If she would look at him now, she was sure she'd lose it.

"Can you get it out already?" Edward's question pierced the silence like a shot, and Calleigh jumped in surprise.

"Ed, we're trying to help you here, ok?" Jake intervened, trying to calm down his friend.

"Then get it out, Berkeley," he hissed in response and Jake flinched at his tone.

In any other circumstance Eric would have enjoyed Jake's misery, but at this moment he pitied the guy. He knew that Calleigh and him were history, and that he only wanted her to be happy, and that this new development wasn't something he had taken lightly. Eric could feel cold fear creeping up his back, and he looked at Calleigh once again, who still refused to meet his eyes.

"We suspect that your mother's death wasn't an accident," Stella concluded, confirming Calleigh's worst fears she had harbored for months. "We suspect the same men were involved in your sister's kidnapping."

Calleigh's eyes briefly flickered over to her sister, who seemed to be shrinking in her seat. Her gaze travelled from one family member to the next, and suddenly Edward's demands about further details sounded like they came from miles away. Her gaze was trained on her father instead, and the way he was sitting further away from his family. He hadn't flinched as they received the news, and he hadn't as much as blinked an eye as Stella continued to explain. Edward's angry words were lost in her thoughts, as a question suddenly formed in her mind that had to come out.

"Dad, what have you done?" she hissed in a low, threatening voice as she leaned towards him.

The room had grown silent, and Edward had stopped dead in his tracks; everyone was watching the scene in front of him. Calleigh was shaking with anger, which in turn made her calm and heightened her senses. Her father seemed terrified, and his eyes were filled with utter terror as his daughter's eyes met his. He stayed quiet and refused to meet her eyes, fidgeting with the pen in his hands instead. A sickening truth suddenly dawned on her.

"You knew. You knew about this, and you didn't say a word." Her voice was cold, and Eric flinched at her tone.

Jake cleared his throat; "We interrogated a suspect who was connected to the higher ranks. Your father was in debt from years ago, and he was unable to bail out one of their gang members, so your mother's death was a warning-"

He wasn't able to finish before the harsh sound of metal scraping along tiled floor interrupted his words. Ellie had jumped from her seat and ran from the room without as much as a backward glance, and Jamie stood as well, shaking his head at his father before leaving without a word. Edward punched the table and followed suit, cursing under his breath as he threw the door closed behind him with a bang. Calleigh was staying seated, her left hand supporting her forehead as she tried to keep her composure. Finally she rose as well.

"_Lambchop_…" It was the first word her father had uttered since they had broken the news, but she just held up her hand and shook her head in an attempt to hold back the tears that threatened to overflow her emerald eyes. She turned on her heels and followed her siblings, who had gathered in the same spot they had occupied before.

The team watched them in stunned silence, shocked by what had just happened in front of them. Eric's blood threatened to boil over as he looked at Calleigh's father. He was able to tell by the look of her that this wasn't a surprise to her. Things like this were the reason she trusted no one, and Eric hated him for that. He was about to say something when Calleigh's grandmother beat him to it.

"Good job, Kenwall. This time you've screwed up royally," she commented and Natalia coughed to hide a laugh at the old woman's dryness. "Don't you see how many times over you've hurt these kids? It affects their past, their present, _and _their future!"

"Don't you think I know? Every time I look into their eyes I see all the hurt I've caused them. When I held Calleigh in my arms for the first time I swore I would do anything to protect her. Now I'm the one who's hurting her," he hung his head and Eric's anger wasn't as strong as it was before.

He knew that Kenwall Duquesne hadn't done these things intentionally, which was the only reason Calleigh was still in his life. It didn't mean he had the right to do this, but Eric understood that the man needed help, and that helping him would help Calleigh in the long run.

"It's not too later, Mister Duquesne," Stella told him gently.

"Yes? Tell me, what can I do? Anything, anything at all…"

"We need your signature to perform an autopsy on your late wife," she explained and pushed a stack of paper towards him, "And we need you all to stay under police protection. Your whole family might be at risk. You need to give me names of any contacts you have had with the gang, and any further information you can give."

"Certainly, certainly," the man mumbled as his pen scribbled across the page, but Eric was hung up on Stella's last words: '_Your whole family might be at risk.'_ Calleigh. His gaze travelled across the hallway to where she was sitting with her arm around her sister, and his heart clenched with fear at the thought that someone might be after her.

He was unable to see her until very late that day, since interrogations had occupied their time ever since the news had been broken. To top things off, a hurricane was approaching the city, and New Orleans was preparing for a dangerous ordeal as the winds started to pick up outside. He found her in the locker room, slumped against the row of steel doors next to her own.

"Hey," he whispered, and her eyes met his, but her face didn't change.

"Hi," she mumbled, and she sounded overly tired.

"Everything sorted out?" he enquired, unsure where to begin this conversation, when all he wanted was to take her in his arms and hold her until everything was over.

"Yeah, Ellie caught the last flight out before the hurricane. She's going to Paris with her friend and parents; Stella figured she'd be save in Europe for a few weeks until we get everything sorted. You guys should leave soon too, or they'll close down the airport."

"You think I'd leave now? I thought you'd know me better than that. Besides, You need police protection, so Stella asked if you could stay with me tonight." Their eyes met as her head shot up.

"No, Eric, I can't. You'd be in danger too-" he silenced her by placing a finger on her lips.

"Remember the day I almost got deported? I agreed to stay with you even though the Russian mob was after me, so don't try to argue with me. '_You protected me, I'll protect you'_, remember? And I don't think you should be alone. Not tonight."

Of course she did remember. How could she ever forget that day at the detention center? It was one of many close calls they had in the past years, and they had almost been separated. Suddenly she realized that being with him was the only way to keep it from happening this time.

"Okay," she whispered and he gave her a small smile.

"Okay," he echoed before he grabbed her hand, and led her out the door to his car.

They didn't stop at her house to get her things, but quickly bought a few items in the nearest store before returning to his hotel suite. Knowing that Horatio and Natalia were just down the hall, and knowing Calleigh was in the same room with him, calmed him down immensely. He listened to her taking a shower as he lay on the pullout couch he had prepared to sleep on tonight. This way, anybody trying to get to her room would have to pass him first. Their dinner was still sitting on the kitchen counter; hers was almost untouched. When she finally emerged from the bathroom she looked tired and beaten, and she murmured a quick good night before closing the door behind her. Eric knew that she needed space to work things through, but he couldn't help but feel that she hadn't just shut the door on him now, but today's events had also pushed them back again and closed a door between them that would take a while to reopen.

He sighed, as he laid down on the couch and turned off the light, not even bothering to turn on the TV. He wouldn't even be able to concentrate, and chose to listen to the storm instead. Little did he know, that the woman lying just behind the wall that separated them was battling the same fate. Calleigh tossed and turned for what seemed like hours. The digital clock on the bedside table showed 2am when she finally gave up on sleep and instead listened to the wind outside. It had intensified even more, and the loud rumble of thunder mixed in with the constant howling of the currents. She suddenly felt cold, and the bed seemed way too big for her. The past day's events replayed in her mind and she felt herself shiver despite the many blankets that covered her body. A sudden urge had her swing her feet out of bed and tiptoeing across the dark bedroom.

Silently she walked out into the adjoining living room. Eric hadn't closed the blinds, and one of the windows was cracked open. Light from outside flooded through the sheers, which lightly swayed in the wind. How he was able to sleep like that, she had no idea. Suddenly, she didn't know what she was doing here. Why was she standing in his room at 2am in the morning? He needed his sleep, and it was selfish of her to wake him, just because she was scared. It was hard for her to admit it, but she was terrified. Deep down, however, she knew that wasn't the only reason. She knew she had come her tonight, driven by a deep want and desire deep within her that had nothing to do with what had happened the day before. She tiptoed closer, and as she was about to open her mouth she saw him turn towards her with his eyes wide open. He had been awake the whole time, too.

"Calleigh, what are you doing here? Are you ok?" he whispered, and she could hear the concern in his voice.

Unable to answer, she stayed frozen in place, and his eyes travelled across her face and body in an attempt to find the source for her obvious distress. She looked absolutely beautiful in the faded light. Her hair looked like liquid silver as it fell across her shoulder in gentle waves. She looked fragile, like a porcelain doll, and he was afraid that she'd break if he'd as much as touch her hand. He reached out for her nonetheless, and she let herself be pulled towards him. She snuggled into him as his arms encircled her frame and pulled her tight towards him. She buried her face in his chest and inhaled his calming scent as their legs intertwined in an attempt to get even closer. They lay like that for a few minutes, just listening to each other's steady breath, but suddenly, it wasn't enough for Calleigh. Pulling away slightly, she reached up in search for him and pressed a heated kiss to lips. He kissed her back with hesitation and pulled away after a few seconds, resulting in a soft whimper of protest that left her lips.

"Calleigh… I don't think this is the right time-" he whispered, but she cut him off with another kiss.

"_Please_, Eric", she whispered as she finally tore her lips from his, "I need you."

"Cal, I just don't want you to do anything you'll regret in the morning." Why did he have to be so damned overly cautious? He always treated her like a porcelain doll, although he knew she was tougher than that.

"This isn't about today, Eric. It's not like it was before, when we just gave in to a spur of the moment thing. I've had six months to think about this." Her eyes met his, and she could see his last resolves vanishing in the darkness.

He crushed his lips to hers in a silent answer, and he kissed her as if he was suffocating and she was his oxygen. She returned the favor with equal force. When they finally broke the kiss they were both panting and gasping for air. He turned his attention to the soft skin on her neck as his hands slowly caressed the bare skin underneath her tank top, and the mood had changed entirely. She was right, this was different from the last time they had spent the night together. Their last night had been driven by desperation and pent up tension and desire that had almost destroyed them, but this time they were exploring each other's bodies with a slow, sure manner that held the promise of so much more. They made love agonizingly slow and tender; relishing every second they spend in each other's arms.

The storm outside was getting closer and closer, and the rushing downpour of rain that rattled against the windowpanes joined the roaring thunder and howling winds. The two of them were completely oblivious to anything that was going on outside, solemnly focusing on the here and now that they got to share with each other; knowing that, this time, it wasn't goodbye, but instead the promise of tomorrow.

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><p><strong>That's it for now, peeps, so please leave me a note if you like it (or not). By the way, I absolutely love Rihanna, but I just had to use her in here. Sorry!<strong>


	8. Federal Investigation Part I

**Another chapter, and right after midterms! I'm proud to say that I didn't slack at school, but I needed a day off today, which I spend writing. Thank you for all the positive feedback, I really enjoy writing, and it has improved because I feel more confident in trying things. I'm currently going over the previous chapters and making some changes, but I won't upload them until it's finished… which will take a while, but I'll let you know. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy!**

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><p>Calleigh stretched luxuriously. She felt content, happy even, to just lie in this cocoon of warmth and security. The warmth was radiating from the sleeping form next to her, and she carefully tried to turn so that she could face the man whose arm was wrapped around her waist possessively. She had no idea what time it was, but the grey light that penetrated the thin layers of fabric by the window suggested that it was past sunrise. The wind was still howling outside, but the rain was less intense than it had been during the night; it bore a calming quality as it hit the windowpane in a slow and steady rhythm. A soft smile graced her lips as Calleigh thoughts travelled back to last night's activities, and she snuggled closer to Eric, pressing her lips to his bare chest in a spur of the moment reaction. He smiled in his sleep and unconsciously pulled her closer, eliciting a soft giggle from her lips. The sound seemed to pull him further into consciousness, and she watched his left eye opening slowly and focusing on her. His face broke into a smile and he turned to face her, both of them now lying on their sides while their arms were still wrapped around each other.<p>

"Hi," he whispered and reached up to trace his finger along her cheekbone before returning it to its previous place on the small of her back, where he started to draw lazy circles on her skin.

"Hi yourself," she mirrored his reply and send him a happy smile that made him grin in return.

They lay there in silence for a few minutes, and Calleigh was on the brink of being lulled to sleep again by Eric's soft strokes and the calm rhythm of the rain outside, combined with the steady in and out of his breath. Eric was content to just hold her in his arms, but there were so many things he longed to say to her; such as _"I love you"_ and _"Come home with me"_, but he knew that now was not the right time, and he would most likely just scare her away. Instead, he opted for showing her, as he placed two fingers under her chin to lift her face to his. He pressed his lips to hers in a tenders kiss, and he felt her sigh against him.

Before she was able to deepen the kiss, he withdrew his lips, pressing them to her nose instead, before moving on to her cheeks and forehead and each of her closed eyes. Fascinated by the sheer tenderness of his loving gestures, she held still as he placed feather light kisses all over her face. Today began just like last night had ended, and she wondered if it would be possible to get drunk of love. It was plainly visible in every one of his actions, and she knew he was holding back because of her. She felt a massive wave of guilt wash over her.

"Eric." Her soft whisper caused him to stop and look up to meet her eyes. "I know what you're doing."

"What do you mean?"

She reached up to trace a finger along his full bottom lip and smiled, running her hand across the worried greases that had appeared on his forehead after she'd spoken the words.

"I know what you want to say, but you're not doing so because of me. And you're right; I'm not ready to hear it yet. Not now, anyway. But I'm not leaving anytime soon."

He knew how much this admittance had cost her, and what it meant. She was feeling the exact same things he was, but she was unable to voice them just yet. In a way, she felt crippled. His hand gently guided her face to his again and he kissed her deeply, grateful for the words that had left her mouth. They pulled apart when the need for air became apparent, and he smiled at her as their eyes locked once again.

"I'm just glad to have you here with me right now. Please don't feel like you need to prove yourself to me," he said.

"But I feel like I owe that to you. I was the one who refused to see what was going on for years… and now once again." She had pulled free of his arms and sat up, wrapping her arms around her knees, as she looked everywhere but at him.

He sat up as well, but kept his hands to himself. What she was saying was the truth, and he knew that if they would just brush it over, it would always linger in the background like an unwanted guest.

"Calleigh I know why it has taken you so long to come to this point, believe me, after seeing your father yesterday… I'm sorry for what has happened to you."

"You're not the one who needs to be apologizing, Eric."

"I know, but you aren't, either. All I want is for you to know that I'm not like him. I'll always be here, in some way or another." Her emerald orbs met his pools of warm chocolate brown, and she could see the sincerity behind his words reflected in his eyes.

Reaching over and pulling herself into his lap, she held him close and breathed in his intoxicating scent of cologne and something uniquely Eric. She buried her face in the crook of his neck as his arms wrapped around her protectively, and her lips grazed the skin on his neck as she whispered a quiet "Thank you."

His buzzing cell phone on the nightstand interrupted their moment, and she extracted herself from him so that he could get to the offending device. His hand reached over and grabbed the phone, studying the caller id before turning towards her again.

"Work," he informed her and she nodded, getting on her knees to get off the couch.

"I'll make coffee," she murmured.

His eyes followed her down to the kitchen. Her muscular legs were almost completely exposed, as she was only wearing his button-down dress shirt and he watched her reach for the small coffee machine before finally pressing the button and holding the phone to his ear.

"Delko," he answered in usual fashion and Calleigh smiled, listening to his quiet conversation. She only turned around as she heard him press the off button and his phone and sighing deeply.

"What's wrong? Who was it?" She sounded concerned, and the look in his eyes didn't really help to calm the anxiety that had started to rise in her stomach.

"H. They've gotten the court order to go up to Darnell…"

"To get my mother," she finished for him.

"Yeah. And they might ask you to attend." He was standing in front of her now, holding both of her upper arms and looking deeply into her eyes. "Are you going to be ok with this?"

"I haven't been up there since…since my mother was buried. Edward's going as well, isn't it?" He nodded and she sighed deeply. "Fine."

"I'll come."

"Eric…"

"Cal, I just told you; I'll be there for you. So please, let me do this." She looked up at him and thought for a while. He was right, she had to let him in. She just had to trust him and let him take care of her.

She nodded her head and he pulled her close, tugging her head under his chin where she fit perfectly, now that she wasn't wearing her heels. Listening to the strong, steady beating of his heart through the ear she held pressed to his chest, she could feel her body relax. It was true that she wasn't looking forward to the trip along memory lane, but she felt safe in the arms of the man who held her right now, and she trusted him enough to know that she was going to be ok. They were going to be ok.

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><p>Horatio grew impatient. It was barely 8am, but the call he had received earlier that morning had him worried. Stella had sounded agitated as she asked him to come in right away, but he had been waiting for over 20 minutes for her to show. Finally, he was able to catch a glimpse of her curly brown hair through the glass that defined the space he was currently staying in. He could tell that she was angry by the way she stepped through the door, and her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, exaggerating the tight frown on her tired face. Waiting for her to speak, he watched as she ran a hand across her face and closed her eyes for a second.<p>

"Stella?" His voice sounded concerned, and she opened her eyes to meet his.

"I'm sorry to call you in this early, Horatio."

"No worries, Ma'am. Any news?"

"Well, it's been a tough morning already. Now that we've finally gotten the court order, we should leave as soon as possible. I need to make arrangements, call Calleigh, and on top of that I have to entertain a team of ATF agents as well as the FBI."

"The Feds are getting involved?" His eyebrows shot up, almost disappearing in his hairline.

"Yeah, and you know what that means. They're breathing down my neck, and flipping this place upside down." She sounded tired and irritated at the same time.

"The case is completely out of your hands," he concluded.

"Yes. I have to watch as somebody else take over, mainly because they believe we can't handle it. We're watching from the sidelines, occasionally supplying information as needed, but otherwise our hands are tied. That's why I asked you to come here this morning, to tell you. I don't want to keep you from your own cases back in Miami, not if there's nothing for you down here anymore."

"I know, this case is your own jurisdiction now, and we have no real part in it; but Stella, you know that this case is personal. Calleigh Duquesne was part of our team."

"She was, Horatio, but not anymore. She's part of our team now, and you must trust me enough to believe that we will support her just as well as you would have." Her eyes were fixed on him, and she tried to convince him with her intent stare.

"Excuse my voicing my opinion this bluntly, Stella, but I believe that what she needs most now is for somebody she knows to be with her every step of the way, and we both know this someone is part of _my_ team."

"Horatio, I'm not blind, I know what is going on between her and Eric Delko, but-" He held up his hand, effectively silencing her.

"We'll not be in your way or interfere with the investigation, and we will leave as soon as her mother's body has been placed in the morgue. I'm not saying this as a lieutenant, but as a mere civilian. She is like a daughter to me, and not only was she part of our team, she is also close to Eric, who happens to be my brother-in-law; that makes her family in more ways than one."

She was impressed; this had to be the most she'd ever heard him say. Horatio Caine wasn't a man of many words, but when he decided to speak, it always held a meaning. He was a brilliant man with a vast amount of experience that surpassed her own, and she had trusted him from the moment she first laid eyes on him. She knew that his promises would stand, and she nodded a silent agreement. If he believed that this was the right thing to do, then she wouldn't stand in his way.

"Okay," she said, exhaling deeply. "We're driving up this afternoon, and I'll have Calleigh called in to explain the situation. The FBI are going to want to question her as well before we make our way up; her father and brother will also accompany us for legal reasons. This isn't going to be easy on her, Horatio."

"All the better then that we're here to help her with it." Their eyes met once again, and they shared a small smile as well as signing a silent agreement that they would protect their colleague and friend as much as possible from what was to come.

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><p>Calleigh and Eric arrived at the PD around noon. It was Calleigh's day off, but Stella had called her in shortly after Eric had received Horatio's message. Stella's call had her worried, and she had picked up on her lieutenant's tone the second she answered the phone. It sounded stressed and irritated; as if she was suppressing something important she'd rather not tell her over the phone. The sight that greeted her once she entered the lab almost made her stumble backwards, and Eric caught her elbow just in time to steady her. The usually busy lab seemed almost crowded, swarmed with strangers in black suits and blue uniforms.<p>

"You ok?" Eric whispered in her ear as she leaned on him.

"What are the FBI and the ATF doing here?" She countered his question with one of her own, completely ignoring his worries for now.

"I'm not sure," he answered truthfully. "Let's go find Stella. She'll know."

"That's why she called me in. They're interfering with the case," she hissed quietly as they walked along the corridor.

"You don't know that."

"Please, Eric, I'm not a baby. I don't need you to protect me."

They had stopped in the middle of the corridor, and people kept passing them left and right. He swallowed, nervously surveying the situation. He knew that nobody was watching them, and in truth he didn't care. There was no fraternization rule that they would have to worry about, but the setting still unsettled him. She seemed agitated, and he knew that this situation was pushing her to the point of mental exhaustion that he'd seen her reach very few times before. Her eyes softened as she detected the look on his face, and she reached for his hand to give it a light squeeze.

"I'm sorry, Eric. I didn't mean to sound so harsh, it's just that… this is so hard." Her voice cracked, and she covered her face with her hands. He knew that she would break down if he took her in his arms right now, so he opted to run his palm up and down her upper arms in a soothing rhythm. She placed her hands on his hips in turn, steadying herself.

"Hey, Cal, I know. This isn't easy, but we'll figure something it. Let's just get through today and worry about everything else when we come to it, ok?"

She nodded, avoiding his eyes, but held on to sides, giving him a soft squeeze in confirmation. It wasn't the first time that they faced a difficulty, and she had no doubt that she'd be able to handle it the way she always did – but it didn't mean she wasn't worried. There was more on the line for her than ever before, and it seemed like she was about to lose everything and everyone she had ever cared for.

"Calleigh!"

Stella's sharp voice pulled her back into reality, and suddenly she was all too aware of her current position. There were no official fraternization rules, which could be applied to their situation, but she still felt like this was not the place or time for public affection. She quickly stepped away from the man in front of her and let her hands fall to her sides. Stella was hurrying towards them, and the look of irritation in her eyes had Calleigh worried.

"I need to talk to you in my office." Calleigh threw a quick glance across her shoulder and locked eyes with Eric for just a brief second, trying to assure him that she'd be fine.

Worried greases appeared on his forehead as he watched her retreating form, and his eyes followed her all the way into the nearby office. He was still able to watch her through the confines of the glass walls that seemed to surround her like a golden cage, and his attention was trained on her every move. He felt a warm hand on his left shoulder, and he turned, finally tearing his eyes away from the scene he had been watching. Horatio was standing at an arm length away from him, and his face mirrored Eric's worried look.

"What's going on, H? What's happening here?"

"The FBI and the ATF are taking over the investigation, and the NOPD are solemnly responsible for supplying information, and nothing more."

"And what about us?" Suddenly, his hands felt ice cold.

"Our involvement here is over, and we'll be on our way soon." Horatio's eyes followed Eric's gaze, which had settled on Calleigh. "She will be fine, Eric. They're doing everything they can."

His voice sounded reassuring, but Eric recognized it as the same voice they used on victims and their family members, when they tried to reassure them that a situation wasn't as bad as it really was. His heart sunk.

"That's what we always tell them, isn't it? But H, do you really believe it?" He sounded tired and deeply affected, and the lieutenant's heart went out to the young man who he considered his brother in more ways then one.

"I know that there are many people that care about her, and every single one of them would give their life for Calleigh. They will do anything in their power to keep her from harm; you know that. What she needs most right now, is somebody she can lean on."

"I'm not going to leave her," Eric whispered, and his eyes once again found her fragile form though the see-through barrier.

"I know that. That's why I've asked for permission for you to stay until after her mother's body has been brought in."

Eric's head shot up, and their eyes met once again. The news should have been reassuring, but somehow it wasn't. At the moment, he couldn't decide what would be worse; leaving Calleigh right now, or knowing that their time together would be cut short in a couple of days. They hadn't imagined he would have to leave so soon, and there were still too many things left in the open between them. He wasn't ready to let her go yet. His eyes lingered on her slightly trembling body, and he watched, as she held onto the tabletop so hard that her knuckles turned white. She looked so fragile, so _broken_, that he had to fight the urge to burst into that room, and to wrap her in his arms to keep her safe.

Meanwhile, Calleigh wasn't oblivious to his watchful eyes that seemed to follow her every move. It made her feel safe and uncomfortable at the same time, knowing that he cared for her to such an extent. The only word that came to her mind to describe the look on his face was pure and unconditional love, and she was unsure about the feelings it conjured within her. She felt almost like a giddy young schoolgirl, who found out that her longtime crush had taken an interest in her. It felt… _good._ Right now, however, she had to focus on what was in front of her, and she voiced the question that had entered her mind the instant she had stepped through the door.

"Stella, what's going on? What are the FBI and the ATF doing here?"

Her superior attempted a reassuring smile, but it turned into a grimace instead. Calleigh knew that Stella despised the federal bureau, and there was nothing worse to her than having strangers sniffling through _her_ lab, turning everything upside down.

"They've been monitoring the gang activities for months, but they've never had any relevant evidence to tie them down; so as soon as they got wind of your mother's case, they stepped in." Stella looked tired, and Calleigh knew right away they had done more than just 'step in'.

"What does that mean for us?"

"They've taken over, and we've been reduced to informative participation only; as soon as your mother has been examined, the case is off our hands. The MDPD has been requested to return to Miami, but Horatio has arranged for CSI Delko and himself to stay with you until we've returned from Darnell. He thinks that –uh – it would be helpful for you to have them around." Calleigh nodded and was about to say something when Stella spoke once again. "That's not all. Agent Hernandez is leading the investigation, and he'll ask you some questions…"

"Of course," Calleigh answered and looked away again.

"We'll be leaving in about an hour, your brother and your father are on their way to join us as well, for legal reasons-" A knock on the door interrupted her mid-speech, and they both turned towards the tall, dark haired man that stood in the door.

"Sorry to interrupt, ladies," he apologized and turned towards Calleigh. "You must be CSI Duquesne, I presume?"

Calleigh merely nodded; but something in his demeanor made her uncomfortable. His voice sounded cold and slightly arrogant; she could tell that he wouldn't be very warm and understanding while digging through her family's deepest secrets. Therefore, her answer was short and slightly irritated.

"Yes, I am. And you would be?"

"Special Agent Luis Hernandez, FBI. We're investigating your mother's death as part of our gang activity investigation in the New Orleans area, and it is essential that we have your full cooperation in this matter."

"Agent Hernandez, I must remind you-" Stella started to speak, but he held up a hand to silence her.

"_Special_agent Hernandez, please. And just as I have told you before, Lieutenant Bonasera, the FBI is working this case now, and _I _will be giving the orders!"

"I'm sorry, _Specialagent_," she spat, "but I'm not standing back while you're putting one of my CSIs' lives on the line!"

Calleigh had never seen Stella react like this, and the only fitting word she found to describe her superior's mood was furious. Horatio chose that very moment to appear in the doorway, and Calleigh detected Eric's presence right behind him. She wasn't sure how much they had heard, but from the look on Eric's face she could tell that he had heard Stella's last outburst at least. He had his fists clenched tightly on his sides, and his jaw muscles twitched as he grit his teeth to keep his mouth shut.

"Anything the matter?" Horatio's voice was soft but demanding at the same time, and his quiet but sure demeanor left no room for doubt that he wasn't afraid of the FBI.

"And you would be?" Hernandez eyed the red-haired man beside him, and his eyes quickly flashed to his badge before returning to his piercing blue eyes.

"Horatio Caine, Miami-Dade PD," Horatio answered in the same sure, calm voice.

"Ah, Lieutenant Caine, I thank you for all the information we have gotten from Miami. You I'm sure you have been informed already, but your presence here isn't needed anymore, and it would be most helpful if you returned to Miami and supplied us with new information from there."

"And I'm sure Lieutenant Bonasera has already informed _you_ that we will return home as soon as Mrs. Duquesne's body has been recovered and safely returned to the morgue."

"Yes, indeed she has; but to be honest, I don't see any reason for this-" Calleigh knew that Horatio was a patient man, his even his patience was running thin at the younger man's unfriendly tone. Surprisingly, Eric bet him to it.

"Listen to me now, you arrogant bastard! We have every right to stay here with her, and you're not holding us back." He was fuming, and Horatio placed a calming hand on the younger man's shoulder to keep him back.

"This isn't going to make it any better, Eric," he whispered before turning back to the flustered-looking agent. "Specialagent Hernandez, this case is personal for us, as CSI Duquesne has been part of our team, and we do consider her family. I can assure you we won't interfere with you investigation, as we are mere civilians in this case."

"This is all very touching, gentlemen, but I can't possibly be expected to take responsibility for this family affair."

"Of course not, Specialagent. I will take full responsibility for me and my team," Horatio countered, and rendered the FBI agent speechless.

"Well then, fine. If you'd excuse me, I have other matters to attend. Miss Duquesne, if you'd please follow me. There's a few question I need to ask you." The agent's demeanor reflected his unexpected defeat, and he didn't seem to cope well; nevertheless, he tried to cover it up as he straightened up and turned to leave.

Calleigh stood and followed him, but not before glancing around the room one more time before stepping out the door. Eric caught her hand as she tried to brush past him, and their eyes met for a split second before she quickly squeezed his hand and walked on. His eyes followed her down the corridor once again, and he had to swallow hard to fight down the worried feeling that was forming in his stomach.

Thirty minutes later she emerged, and he was shocked how tired and worn she looked. Her eyes were red rimmed, and he could tell that she had been crying. With two large strides be was by her side and wrapped her in his arms. She buried her face in his chest and held on to his shirt as he kissed the top of her head. It didn't matter to her that they were standing in the middle of the crime lab, and that people were passing them left and right. The interrogation had felt like the Spanish Inquisition, and it was more than uncomfortable to go through her family's personal matter to such an extent.

"You ok?" She heard his whisper in her hair, and she smiled despite the heavy feeling in her chest.

"I'm not sure," she answered truthfully, and he barely nodded in response. He knew how much it took her to admit that she was affected.

She felt so tiny in his arms, and for the second time, since she had returned to his life, he noticed just how thin she had gotten. He could feel her bones poking through the fabric on her shoulder, and her hipbones were more pronounced when he softly ran his hands up and down her sides. Last night he had to keep himself from gasping in shock when he had been able to see her entire ribcage so clearly through the thin layer of skin on her upper torso. Suddenly, he felt her trembling and her knees seemed to give way. His grip on her tightened, and he carefully supported her as he started walking her towards the brake room.

"Come on, let's get you something to eat before we leave," he whispered.

"No, Eric, I can't," she protested weakly, but he just shook his head.

"You won't have the strength to get through this, Calleigh. Now come on."

Stella and Horatio followed them down the hallway, and they found Cristina sitting on one of the tables by the window as they entered.

"_Dios_, Calleigh, you're as white as the wall," she commented upon seeing her colleague.

"Gee, thanks, Cris." Calleigh's usual self was returning, and Eric sighed in relief as he made his way over to the little kitchen unit to make coffee.

"No problem, _Chiquita._ Anyone care to explain what's going on? I've already had one of those penguins treat me like an illegal immigrant, so I have no desire to go out there again."

"He _what_?" Stella enquired and folded her arms in front of her chest.

"That… that arrogant son of a- _dios mio, lo siento_. He asked if I would be in charge while you two are away, and when I said yes, he seemed irritated and asked me if I'm even American."

"And what did you say?"

"_My husband and kids are; does that count? _Such an arrogant _bastardo_! What does that have to do with anything?_"_

"Nothing, he's just trying to intimidate you," Horatio explained and sighed.

"Intimidate _me_? Ha, that man hasn't seen nothing yet. We'll have fun together, bring it on!" Calleigh couldn't help but chuckle despite the situation they were in.

Suddenly Stella's phone buzzed, and she excused herself to take the call. Eric sat down next to Calleigh and pushed a cup of steaming coffee and a cereal bar her way, which she accepted. She was old enough to know that she needed fuel in order to function, so she obediently opened the wrapper and took a bite. Eric seemed satisfied, and he his hand found hers under the table, where he linked their fingers on top of her knee. Once again she was surprised just how well their fingers seemed to fit; and how right it felt when her hand curled around his, just as if they had never been apart.

Stella returned, and placed her phone back on her hip as she approached them: "Calleigh, your family is down in the lobby; let's go."

Their hands stayed connected the whole way, and he finally let go once they stepped into the elevator. Her eyes found his, but she was unable to read his expression, opting for a verbal confirmation instead.

"What's wrong," she whispered quietly so only he could hear.

"I…" for a second he thought about telling her that he was leaving soon, but he dismissed it. "I don't know, I guess I'm just nervous."

"Nervous? About what?" She sounded concerned and he smiled, feeling lightly embarrassed about what he was about to say.

"I…uh, did you ever talk to your brother about me?" He sounded small and – a word she would never have associated with Eric Delko before – insecure. The question seemed so trivial, so normal, that it made her smile.

"_That_ is what you're worried about? That my brother might dislike you?" he could hear her giggle, and despite the fact that she was outright laughing at him, it made him smile in return.

"Glad I amuse you."

She chuckled once more and reached for his hand again, lacing their fingers, before she spoke once again: "Eric, I've never spoken bad about you to him, but he is my brother. Imagine what you would do if you were in his shoes."

"Why do you think I'm so nervous?" He muttered and she smiled.

"It'll be fine. He's not going to do anything; not now, anyways."

He didn't have more time to contemplate as the elevator doors opened, and they stepped out into the lobby. Edward and Kenwall were already awaiting them, and Edward rushed towards them. Eric watched the two siblings embrace, and a sudden pain in his heart reminded him just how much these two reminded him of Marisol and himself.

"I'm worried," she whispered as her brother pulled her close, and he kissed the top of her head.

"Don't worry, little sister, it'll be fine," he murmured, and she giggled.

"You know that _you_ are the little one," she countered.

"Only by age, you know that."

They pulled apart, and Calleigh turned towards the others that had been standing behind them. Her father approached her, and they hugged briefly before she turned away. Silently she slipped beside Eric and grasped his hand in hers as they made their way out of the building. Edward watched them from behind, and even though he had felt the tiger of brotherly over protectiveness roar within him initially, he couldn't help but feel happy for his sister. He had never met the man before; but as soon as he laid eyes on Eric Delko, he knew that he was a decent guy. Just like his sister, Edward Duquesne possessed the ability to feel a person's personality around them; a trait that derived from living with their family.

Eric watched the landscape rushing past the window as they were driving up the country. He was used to driving up I-95 to visit his aunts up in Raleigh, North Carolina, and he knew how the vegetation barely changed once they crossed the Florida Stateline, making it impossible to tell which state they were in. Here, it didn't seem much different. They were driving along I-20, a straight, tree-lined dual carriageway that seemed to go on forever. It looked just like any other along the Eastern United States. 'You're in the South, not the East', he reminded himself; but then again, what was the difference?

Late in the afternoon they stopped at a rest area, and Eric got a drink from one of the vending machines while they waited for everyone to return from the restrooms. He hadn't realized just how deep they had travelled into the country side, until a skinny, longhaired guy walked past him and dirty yeans and a checkered shirt. A cigarette was hanging from the corner of his mouth as he got into his worn red pick-up truck and the engine roared as a typical country rock song could be heard through the open window. Eric watched him pull out of the parking spot and shook his head.

"Enjoying yourself?" He turned towards the voice, and saw Calleigh walk towards him with an amused smile on her face, which he returned.

"Kind of. Here I thought I'd seen it all."

"You mean the guy with cowboy boots that just walked past you?" she asked; her left eyebrow slightly raised.

"Yeah. I thought that was a very bad stereotype someone made up?"

"Well, that's true. You might not find that much more guys looking like that around here than anywhere else, but… stereotypes have to come from somewhere, don't you think?"

She was standing close to him now, within reach, but he seemed reluctant to touch her. He could feel her brother's eyes on him constantly, and he came walking towards them that very moment.

"Hey, we didn't really have a change to meet yet. I'm Edward, but everyone just calls me Ed," he extended his hand to Eric, who happily accepted the gesture and gave his hand a healthy squeeze. Edward seemed impressed.

"Eric Delko, nice to meet you."

"So… how do you know my sister?" Ed continued.

"Edward!" Calleigh hissed and shot him a warning look.

"What? I'm just asking!"

"Why would you ask something you already know?" she shot back.

"Hey, Calleigh, it's fine. Really," Eric assured her and went on to answer the question. "We worked together for years."

"Well, you seem better than any of the idiots she's brought home before," Edward said and dodged Calleigh's hand that zoomed dangerously close by his face, "So you have my blessing. Just don't break her heart, or I might have to break every single bone in your body."

"I understand, I'd do the same," Eric agreed and Edward gave him a crooked smile. He started to like this Eric guys more and more.

"Come on guys, let's go!" they heard Kenwall's voice over the constant noise of traffic that was zooming by, and they made their way back to the car to continue their journey.

Finally, after 7 long hours, they passed the city limits of Pioneer. Calleigh was sitting in the passenger seat, while Edward was driving. Eric had opted to drive with them instead, while Horatio and Stella were following them in the department vehicle. Calleigh seemed tense despite her seemingly relaxed position; her shoes and socks were off and she rested her feet up on the dashboard in front of her while listening to the music on the radio. The closer they came, however, she more restless she grew. The minute they entered the town, she put her feet down and straightened up.

"We'll be here any minute," Edward announced, more towards Eric than anybody else in the car.

Ten minutes later, he turned off the road into a broad, tree lined dirt road that ran away from the main road. There was no house in sight, and Eric wondered where exactly they were going. He spotted white wooden fences that lined the driveway, and a few horses were grazing on the green behind it. Finally, a white-painted grand manor house came into view. Eric detected the soft crunch of gravel beneath the wheels as the car came to a standstill, and everyone got out. The sun was just setting as they closed the car doors behind them, and Calleigh took a deep breath as she faced the main entrance. Edward came to stand beside her, and they shared a quick glance.

"Come on, let's get through this," he whispered and she rolled her eyes.

Stella and Horatio were walking towards them just as the main door opened, and Calleigh's grandmother emerged, followed by two more elderly women around the same age. Edward groaned.

"Calleigh Rose, Edward! Such a delightful sight!" one of them cooed as she made her way towards them.

"Aunt Christy, what a nice surprise!" Edward muttered through gritted teeth as he shot his grandmother a look.

The old woman just shrugged and smiled, beckoning them to follow her inside. The entrance hall was cool, and lined with white marble. An impressive double staircase snaked around the rounded walls to the second floor, and the white stone contrasted with the delicate black ironwork on the railing. Eric was speechless; he hadn't expected such grandeur. Suddenly, he felt insignificant. They followed the old lady through the living room onto the large wooden porch that overlooked the backyard and wooden area behind the house.

"Here, I guessed that you'd be hungry after such a long drive up. I have some cold chicken and potato salad that my friend Maggie brought over this morning. I would have made something warm, but I wasn't sure when you'd come-"

"Grandma, please. This is perfect," Calleigh assured with a smile.

"Well, then. I'm glad. Oh and I've also prepared the two spare bedrooms for you to stay in, detectives", she turned towards Stella and Horatio.

"Oh, no, really, Mrs. Duquesne. I don't want you to go through all this trouble. We've rented rooms in a motel just down the road-" Stella argued, but Virginia wouldn't have none of it.

"Nonsense, sweetheart. My parents taught me well, so you're staying over night. Your duties here are grave enough, you shouldn't have to sleep in that filthy, insect infected motel place."

Later that evening, Eric found himself walking one of the corridors by himself. Everybody else was in the living room, where Virginia Duquesne was entertaining her guests. The French doors leading out on the patio were left open, which didn't really help against the muggy evening air. The cicadas harsh chirping came in intervals, but it had intensified since their arrival this afternoon. The walls were covered with old pictures, both color and black and white. He had just stopped to take closer look at one of them as he detected a slight movement behind him. Virginia approached him with a gentle smile on her face, and Eric couldn't help but think how much she looked like her granddaughter.

"That's Edward and Calleigh on the swing out in the garden," she pointed at the picture he had been looking at, which showed two well-dressed children at about 4 or 5. "My daughter had just gotten them dressed to go to her sister's wedding, but Calleigh hated wearing dresses, so they had nothing better to do then climb one of the trees in the orchard, and her dress was ruined. God, my daughter was furious."

Eric smiled, looking into an identical pair of deep green eyes. "Calleigh still doesn't like wearing dresses."

"Believe me; I know", she chuckled darkly. "I'm making her wear one tomorrow though. It's not exactly a funeral, but you should be dressed well nonetheless. It's bad enough she's carrying around guns half the day."

Eric had to hold back a grin and just merely nodded, already imagining Calleigh's face when her grandmother delivered the news. She would be fuming. They went to bed shortly after, and Eric watched Calleigh close her bedroom door behind her before entering his own. He lay awake for a while, and he didn't know whether it was the heat or Calleigh's close proximity. Suddenly, he heart the door open with a slight crack, and light footsteps on the carpeted floor, approaching the bed. It was pitch-black, but he would have been able to recognize the steps anywhere. Wordlessly he lifted the light blanked and accepted her in his arms. A contented sigh left her lips and she closed her eyes, knowing that finally, she would be able to fall asleep.

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><p><strong>I decided to make a break here, originally I wanted to keep going and wrap up this storyline… but it has a life of its own! I mean, this was supposed to be a one-shot in the beginning…<strong>


	9. The Ghost of Lost Opportunities Past

**Hey guys! This is a very short chapter that has just been nagging to be written - the very last scene has been in my head for 5 moths now! One of the first things that came to my mind for this story. Anyway, it's not beta'd as always, and if you find any mistakes you can gladly keep them (or tell me if they're really bad). I'm in finals, again, and very stressed, but I had to channel my creativity some way if it doesn't happen anywhere else... sorry it's so short, but I wanted to wrap this up without stretching it too much. Enjoy!**

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><p>The magnolia tree out in the garden had long lost its last petals, and its thick green leaves swayed slightly in the calm breeze. The morning light was already burning at merely 8am, and Eric had to shield his eyes from the sun's intense glare as he stepped outside. They had to be at the local cemetery by 10am, so Virginia had ordered them to have breakfast in the garden before they left. He had awoken in bed alone that morning, and Calleigh's side of the bed had already been cold. Somehow, an uneasy feeling had started to spread inside of him, because he knew that this was not going to be easy on her. Calleigh was tough, and often pretended to be stronger than she actually was, but she was only human. Nobody would be able to simply look away from something like this.<p>

Now, he scanned his surroundings, hoping to spot a glimpse of the familiar golden hair in the morning light. Disappointed when he didn't spot her right away, he climbed down the few steps that led from the porch onto the garden. A big willow tree stood next to the smaller magnolia, and its branches were so long that it seemed like it would fall over any minute. There was a small pond below, and the outmost branches were disappearing below the water's surface. Following a sudden hunch, he walked over to the massive tree. He wasn't sure whether it was his trained instincts or a sixth sense he seemed to have developed when it came to Calleigh, but as he walked around the thick canopy of leaves and delicate branches, he spotted her sitting on an old wooden swing that hung from one of the massive middle branches.

She didn't seem to notice him, so he stood on the edge and simple watched her, not yet able to disturb the moment she was having. Her green eyes were glowing and out of focus, as if she was looking at something far away, and her slender fingers were curving gently around the rope as she used her right food to lightly swing back in forth as if in trance. He studied her closely, trying to look for any signs that would tell him how she felt, because he knew that she wouldn't admit to feeling bad if she did. Unable to look at her any longer, and following the urge to touch her again, he silently moved forward, and her bright green orbs focused on him. She didn't seem startled in the least, and her lips were curving up gently as he approached her. He gently lifted a hand to her cheek and lightly traced the hollow of her cheekbone with his knuckles.

"Where'd you go this morning?" He murmured, and her smile grew wider at his gentle antics.

"I don't know, I just… couldn't sleep anymore." She sighed before continuing, realizing that there was no use in hiding from him, "I don't feel good being in this house. It makes me restless."

"Bad memories?" His voice was barely above a whisper as he reached forward and gently pulled her towards him; she obliged and pulled him closer until her cheek pressed against his stomach.

"Yeah," her voice was barely audible and muffled by his shirt. "I always came here whenever… something happened. You know, when I was little, I believed that this tree had magical powers. Edward and I used to hide in her all day long and pretend it was our magic castle that would always protect us. It made sense at the time, but it feels silly now."

He was silent, completely lost in thought. His heart ached or the wounded little girl all these years ago, and the still bruised woman she had now become. She didn't cry, or even change her expression at all, but by the way she held on to him he could tell that she was still hurting.

"There you are, I knew it!" They both turned at the sound of a voice behind them.

Edward was standing behind them with a lopsided grin on his face and his arm crossed in front of his chest. He was wearing black pants and a white button-down shirt, and Calleigh couldn't help but notice how cleaned up h looked. Her brother has stopped caring about his appearance years ago, and he had kept that boyish dress sense he had sported in their college days; but now, he was too old for that.

"You look smart," she commented, but didn't move her hands from where they rested on Eric's chest, and Edward's smile widened.

"Well, you know, Louise taught me a thing or two about dressing my age, plus Grandma ordered me to dress smart today. Which, by the way, means that you'll have to change too."

"Me?" Calleigh exclaimed, puzzled. "Why? I'm dressed!" She pointed at her black pants and cream silk blouse.

"No, in Granny's book your not."

She cursed under her breath, and heard Eric's bemused chuckle beside her, which caused her to elbow him in the ribs. Of course, her grandmother believed that she wasn't properly dressed until she wore a _skirt_.

"I'll get changed," she mumbled under her breath and wiggled out of Eric's embrace to walk back to the house.

"She'll be pissed," Eric commented and Edward scoffed.

"That doesn't even begin to describe it."

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><p>Calleigh was standing in front of the old wooden wardrobe in her mother's old room. Of course, she hadn't brought a dress, since she didn't even own a single one. Her grandmother knew, and therefore had gone out of her way to make sure that Calleigh would not arrive at her mother's grave in pants this time. She pulled her face into a frown as she laid eyes on the dress her grandmother had picked for her; because, even though it was beautiful, it was a <em>dress<em>. It was a black sheer dress that ended just below her knees, but the cloth that covered her arms was thin, and elegantly showed off her lean muscles without exposing them _indecently_, as her grandmother had put it. Once her soft curls out of her face and pinned on top of her head, she picked up the pearl earrings and necklace that had been lying on the dresser next to the wardrobe, and she sighed as she glanced at herself in the full-length mirror. She looked exactly like her mother. There was nothing she could do, so she chose to go downstairs and get done with it. She felt everyone's eyes on her as she walked down the steps to the back lawn, and Eric quickly cleared his throat and got up to pull a chair out for her.

His antics confused her a little, and this overly formal behaviour everyone seemed to display was nothing but unusual, but she dismissed it as her grandmother's doing. The woman had always been able to manipulate everyone around her, and age didn't change a thing. Calleigh silently prayed that this would be over soon.

"So, young man, tell me how you met my granddaughter," Virginia asked and Eric almost choked on his coffee.

"I, uh, well…"

"We met even before we worked together," Calleigh supplied for him, sensing his discomfort, "He was a witness in the first case I worked when I moved to Miami. But seriously, grandma, what's with the interrogation this morning?"

"It's just a grandmother's duty, sweetheart. Just some light conversation over breakfast."

More like the Spanish Inquisition, Eric thought. The morning was light and beautiful, and comfortable cushions were laid out on the white garden furniture. It could have been even more enjoyable if they had been here for a different occasion. Visiting Calleigh's childhood home was fascinating, and he seemed to learn more about her than in the fifteen years he had known her. Right now, she looked more Southern than ever, but to him, she was still the same Calleigh he had met in the PD parking lot all these years ago. He realized that over the years she had lost some of her youthful optimism, and she laughed less than she used to, but she was the best friend from years ago.

Two hours later, they arrived at the cemetery. Virginia had insisted on accompanying them, and once they arrived at the graveyard, they spotted a small amount of people gathered in front of the gates. Her grandmother had summoned all the relatives over to watch. Calleigh sighed, and shook her head. She chose to walk by herself as they made their way down between the gravestones, and Eric respected her need for space. He was walking behind her in silence and watched her every move. The light, natural sway of her hips and the way the wind had been able to loosen some of the blonde strands from the tight bun on the back of her head. Her arms were loosely wrapped around her upper torso, but her step was sure and without hesitation. It seemed odd to bring this many people just to unearth a body, but Calleigh had told him that her grandmother loved to stage grand scenarios. So this would have to be one of these occasions.

Calleigh watched the ground in front of her feet as she walked down the path. It had been months since she had been here, and she was suddenly overcome with shame as she realized that she hadn't even once thought about visiting her mother's grave. Her father and brother were walking just ahead of her, and she watched her brother's shoulders that seemed to be hunched a little more than usual. The last day's events were taking a toll on all of them, and she feared that the worst was yet to come; somehow, it felt like the beginning of something, rather than the closure everybody needed so desperately.

It took longer to unearth her mother's coffin than it had burying it, Calleigh didn't understand what all the people were doing here. It didn't make sense. Her mother's coffin was spotless, just as if it had never been underground, and she was glad for once to not be part of the investigation; she would have been unable to look at her mother's dead body. The coffin was handed over to the coroner, who was supposed to deliver it straight to the city morgue. Finally, they were able to leave.

Calleigh was freezing despite the obvious midday heat, and a shiver ran down her spine as she felt a warm hand on her shoulder – it was almost burning her. She whipped around and met Eric's startled glance; he didn't seem to have anticipated that kind of reaction.

"Are you ok?" He sounded concerned and she sighed, running a hand through her hair that she had finally been able to untie.

"It's just a lot to process," she answered, choosing her words carefully, but trying to stay as close to the truth as possible.

"We'll work it out."

She nodded and reached for his hand, gently lacing their fingers as she pulled him towards the car. Her mind was already in New Orleans, and what would await them back home. Ellie wasn't due to return for another three weeks, but that meant that they would have three weeks to solve this mess. But at the moment, she didn't worry about that yet. Her only concern right now was Eric, and the fact that he would have to leave as soon as they reached the city. His flight was already booked, and he would have a mere two hours to get everything ready once they arrived back in New Orleans. Calleigh felt sick to the stomach as she realized that they hadn't had time to talk about anything, and it was just left hanging in midair. They were playing with fire. The ride down would be the last few hours they would spend together, and there wouldn't be a chance to talk in private. How on earth were they going to resolve this?

* * *

><p>"I want answers, you hear me? What do they know?" Don's grip tightened around Elizabeth's wrist, and she was sure it would leave an angry red mark.<p>

She could feel his hot breath on her cheek as he leaned close, and the smell of alcohol was mixed with cold smoke, sweat and marijuana. A soft whimper escaped her lips as he tightened his grip once again, and she closed her eyes to stay focused.

"I'm not sure. They went to dig up that lady's body. They're suspecting you. Eric doesn't tell me much, now that I hardly see him anymore."

"Oh, and why is that, sugar?"

"He's… he's with Calleigh… Calleigh Duquesne. They've been together…before."

"I see. Well, well, now _both_ siblings are involved with someone. That's an interesting development I must say."

"What do you want from them? They didn't do anything to you!"

"Oh yes they did!" He spat, and she tried to pull away from him. "They've come between me and my business, and _nobody_ comes between me and business, you hear me? First, their loser father was unable to defend my brother, and then he couldn't pay back the fees… then his cop daughter had to interfere when her little sister was supposed to pay back the debt. Now, the oldest son is trying to steal my best horse in the stable. There's no way I'm going to let this slip."

"But…you remember…your promise…"

"Don't worry, sweetheart; as long as you do what I say, I won't touch your precious Eric Delko and your girl friend. It's not him I want, anyway. He knows to many people, it would only complicate things. Plus, he might actually be my most valuable tool."

"What? What do you want from him? And what am _I _supposed to do?"

"_You_, my darling, are going back home to Miami. You'll wait for him to get back, and maybe you can even make him forget about the little Southern Belle of his."

"But, Don, I don't want to…"

"You'd like his pretty face to stay as it is, don't you, Baby? Now, if that's the case, you better get your little pretty ass on the next plane back to Miami and wait for him to come back. You'll receive more instructions later. Now go!"

He let go of her hand hand roughly pushed her towards the door. She stood for a moment, rubbing her aching wrist, before she turned on her heel and headed back to the hotel to pack. She left a short note for Eric, stating that a friend of hers had gotten sick and she had to return to Miami immediately. Once she got in line at the security, ticket in hand, it hit her full force. She struggled to fight back the tears as she stepped forward to present her documents.

"I'm so sorry, Eric."

* * *

><p>Eric quietly glanced at Calleigh's profile as they sat beside each other in the car on their way back to her grandmother's house. She had been silent the whole time, and seemed lost in thought, even once they were on their way to New Orleans. He wanted to leave her be, but he knew that they would have to address the issue soon, or the obvious elephant in the room would crush them both. They unloaded their bags in the PD parking lot, and seized his last chance as he watched her reach for her luggage.<p>

"Are you coming to the airport?" He whispered quietly, and she met his eyes for the first time in hours.

"Of course."

They kept their voices quiet, and if Edward had heard them at all, he wasn't showing it as he reached for his own bag before closing the trunk and walking around to his own car. Calleigh gracefully slipped into the driver's seat and opened the passenger door for Eric to climb in after her had stored their luggage in the trunk. She clutched his hand all the way to the airport, just as she had done on the drive back from Darnell, and he was sure that she would leave a bruise.

It was all too fast. The drive, the check in, the coffee together before security. They hadn't much time left, and he knew that this was now or never, so he struggled voice his thoughts.

"Cal," he whispered. "Calleigh."

"Hmm?" She turned towards him and fixed her eyes on his.

"We need to talk about this," he gestured to the space between them and she sighed but nodded in agreement. He was surprised when she looked back up at him and her eyes were glistening with unshed tears.

"I don't know what to do, Eric." She closed her eyes, fighting for control, but her bottom lip quivered.

It took all his strength and willpower not to reach out to her, but they would have to talk about this, not matter what feelings it would conjure up in each of them.

"Yes, you do. It's plain and simple, Calleigh." His voice sounded strong as he spoke. "Come home. "

"I can't just decide to leave, Eric. I have a job here, Ellie lives here, I just moved back. I can't keep jumping around as I please!"

"The new school year starts in 4 weeks, you'd both be better protected in Miami. With me."

"Eric, I can't. I'll have to talk to Ellie and Edward, and I have to be here for the investigation. I can't leave, not like that. I need time."

"Time for what? Figuring out how you feel about me? Was this a joke to you? I don't think so, Calleigh. You feel the same things I feel, but you're too afraid to admit it. You're scared, and now you're stalling."

He sighed and turned away, burying his head in his hands. This was exactly what he had anticipated, but despite the passionate outburst he had prepared in his head, he said nothing. Calleigh waited patiently although her own nerves were about to boil over; and finally, she couldn't stand the silence anymore.

"Eric?" She questioned, and sounded somewhat hesitant. But his reaction was nothing she would have expected. He laughed, but it was a bitter, cold laugh that made her toes coil and the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

"You know, Calleigh, you're doing it again. You're putting everything and everyone first before our relationship. I… I can't do this."

"W…what do you mean?"

"I'm tired of going back and forth, and I need a direct answer, Calleigh. Either, you're with me 100% or not at all. I can't do this anymore." He leant forward to kiss her forehead, "You know where to find me when you make up your mind."

He turned and left without another word. For once in her life, Calleigh Duquesne was rendered speechless as she watched his retreating back. And she wondered if she had really lost him this time, for good.

* * *

><p><strong> Muhahaha. Sorry. I've really enjoyed the fluff, but I couldn't help it - I'm addicted to drama! Thoughts, anyone?<strong>


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